Weird Foods from Around the World

Not Always Amusing

Hope Kate Moss and her beau, Pete Doherty weren't at Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom in Louisville. That was quite a tragedy to start off the summer.

Update: Canada's Wonderland just north of Toronto has closed up a similar ride - Drop Zone, and having it inspected.

How the rich get richer...

Like jail time would be a financial windfall for the rest of us.

The New York Post reports Hilton’s first photos following her release from Lynwood will run in People magazine, and that the snaps will be going to Getty Images for $300 000. NBC is paying $1 million for a Today Show interview.

So far that works out to $43,578 for every day she will have spent in jail. And what she get for a lame book on her harrowing 45 day experience?

Update: The NBC interview may now be off. Maybe not enough money.

Another lame attempt to get a Guinness record

This kid is only 12 years old so he is excused. But what motivates people to do lame things like see how long the ride a stationary bike or how many T-shirts can be worn. I guess it's for their 15 minutes.

Anyway here is Austin Crow as he closed in on his effort to wear 168 T-shirts and earn a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records.

Can it be "4real"?

A couple's bid to officially name their new son "4real," has been blocked by authorities, saying numerals are not allowed.

Pat and Sheena Wheaton decided to name their new baby "4real" shortly after glimpsing him for the first time as a fetus during an ultrasound examination and were struck by the reality of his impending arrival. Mrs Wheaton, from New Zealand, told TV One: "For most of us, when we try to figure out what our names mean, we have to look it up in a babies book and ... there's no direct link between the meaning and the name. "With this name, everyone knows what it means."

But when the parents filed the name with New Zealand's Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages, they were told names beginning with a number were against the rules.

The government office has opened negotiations with the parents about the name under a policy that says all unusual names must be given case-by-case consideration.

Dean Karnazes is One Crazy Guy

Dean Karnazes plans to run on a treadmill in Times Square in the middle of New York for twenty-four hours. His plan is to run more than 153 miles within that time to make it into the Guinness book.

He says he hopes this will inspire people get off the couch and get in shape. Karnazes has run 50 marathons in 50 days in 50 states. He's run across Death Valley in the middle of summer. He's run a marathon to the South Pole. He's run 350 continuous miles.

I noticed he has a website where he can document his lunacy. Dean I'm just running 5.5 miles this weekend.

So why is he doing it? He says it's to benefit an organization called Athletes for a Cure, which is committed to finding a cure for prostate cancer. He is running right now actually. Dean's progress towards his goal will be streamed live via Web cast from midnight Thursday June 21 through midnight Friday, June 22. You can watch Dean's progress and see if he in fact does break the world record at www.accelerade.com.

Crying Mugshots

The Smoking Gun has a series of actual mugshots like below of suspects being a little emotional.

Or how about the crazy hair mugshots.

Maxim Does Israeli Tourism Ads

Someone in the Israeli tourism ministry thought these ads were counter the negative media attention of late. Not sure if it will do the trick but they got my attention.

Alzheimer's patient kills another patient

Toronto police say that the city's 33rd homicide of the year resulted from a dispute over a woman at a seniors' home. However, since a police investigation revealed that both seniors had Alzheimer's disease, the crown prosecutor decided it would not be in the public interest to file charges.

Norman Crabtree, 79, died on May 31, more than three weeks after being assaulted.

A police investigation revealed that on May 8 a dispute erupted over a woman at the Seven Oaks Home for the Aged on Neilson Rd. The victim, whose wife is still alive, had taken up with another woman at the seniors home believing the woman to be his wife. The woman had Alzheimer's, too, and they'd walk around together as a couple.

After dinner on May 8, the victim shouted at a 69-year-old man that this woman was his wife and to leave them alone. "Get your own wife," the victim shouted at him. This didn't prompt an immediate reaction, but a couple of minutes later, the accused marched at Crabtree and lifted his leg and kicked Crabtree in the stomach. The victim, wearing slippers, lost his footing and fell backwards on the tile floor and struck his head, opening a wound.

He was taken to hospital, was stitched up and later released. Police and the coroner's office were called to the home on May 31 for reports of a sudden death. An autopsy revealed that Crabtree died from "blunt force head injury complicated by bronchial pneumonia." The unidentified attacker has no recollection of what happened, police said.

Just another example of how Alzheimer's disease is cruel condition. The number of attacks in senior citizen homes is increasing. Eleven residents met violent deaths at the hands of other residents at Ontario nursing homes between 1999 and 2004.

Remember Cheerleaders are Athletes Too!

Playing the Lotteries

I’ve never been a big fan of what I’ve always called the “Trailer Park Retirement Plan”. I never actually buy a ticket on my own but will go in with others in the office. With the long odds and historically and criminally low return on investment, playing the lottery is understandably referred as a “stupidity tax”.

Let's be frank it is a voluntary tax. The province of Ontario collects about $650 million each year which goes to support support Ontario's hospitals, amateur sport, recreational and cultural activities, communities, provincial priority programs such as health care and education. Only 53.6% goes to prize money.

It should come as no great surprise, then, that those most likely to spend their disposable income on lottery tickers are generally those with the least disposable income. Yes, the rich really are different. For one thing, they tend to be smarter about how the handle their money.

What's all the hype about Hilliary's campaign song?

Why all the hype about Hilliary Clinton's announcement that she has selected a campaign song. With all the media attention I had thought she had found Bin Laden. Like who chooses a president based on a song anyway? And that Celine Dion song was used by Air Canada in their ads. It didn't get them any where either.

Jessica says: "Welcome to Summer"

Mine was done by a Rabbi

Turkish Health Ministry authorities launched an investigation Tuesday into reports that a butcher's shop was used to perform circumcision operations on 12 boys in western Turkey, the Anadolu news agency reported. Turkish newspapers on Tuesday reported that the municipality of Geyve in the town of Sakarya had offered to perform the operations, a rite of passage for Muslim boys, for free for poorer members of the community.

See, I wasn't looking!

Men are more likely to look at a female's face before gazing at other body parts, according to a new study by researchers at Emory University.

Researchers showed still photos of couples having sex to 30 women and 15 men between the ages of 23 and 28. Each was rigged up with a high-tech eye-tracking gizmo to measure where his or her gaze went first, and how long it stayed there.

While men went straight to the face and lingered awhile, most of the women were more interested in what was going on in the pictures — the sexual activity.

But I can give you a hint - when I guy comments on a girl's rack, he likely didn't spend too much time gazing into her eyes.

OJ Manuscripts Have Been Leaked

TMZ has obtained a copy of the infamous manuscript by killer OJ Simpson where he outlines IF he had killed his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson, HOW it went down. Get ready folks, it's disgusting.

The manuscript begins with the passage:

I'm going to tell you a story you've never heard before, because no one knows this story the way I know it. It takes place on the night June 12, 1994, and it concerns the murder of my ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her young friend, Ronald Goldman. I want you to forget everything you think you know about that night because I know the facts better than anyone. I know the players. I've seen the evidence. I've heard the theories. And, of course, I've read all the stories: That I did it. That I did it but I don't know I did it. That I can no longer tell fact from fiction. That I wake up in the middle of the night, consumed by guilt, screaming.

As for the murders, Simpson describes a chilling scene:

I looked over at Goldman, and I was fuming. I guess he thought I was going to hit him, because he got into his little karate stance. "What the fuck is that?" I said. "You think you can take me with your karate shit?" He started circling me, bobbing and weaving, and if I hadn't been so fucking angry I would have laughed in his face. "O.J., come on!" It was Charlie again, pleading. Nicole moaned, regaining consciousness. She stirred on the ground and opened her eyes and looked at me, but it didn't seem like anything was registering. Charlie walked over and planted himself in front of me blocking my view. "We are fucking done here, man-let's go!"

I noticed the knife in Charlie's hand, and in one deft move I removed my right glove and snatched it up. "We're not going anywhere," I said, turning to face Goldman. Goldman was still circling me, bobbing and weaving, but I didn't feel like laughing anymore. "You think you're tough, motherfucker?" I said. I could hear Charlie just behind me, saying something, urging me to get the fuck out of there, and at one point he even reached for me and tried to drag me away, but I shook him off, hard, and moved toward Goldman. "Okay, motherfucker!" I said. "Show me how tough you are!"

Then something went horribly wrong, and I know what happened, but I can't tell you exactly how. I was still standing in Nicole's courtyard, of course, but for a few moments I couldn't remember how I'd gotten there, when I'd arrived, or even why I was there. Then it came back to me, very slowly: The recital-with little Sydney up on stage, dancing her little heart out; me, chipping balls into my neighbor's yard; Paula, angry, not answering her phone; Charlie, stopping by the house to tell me some more ugly shit about Nicole's behavior. Then what? The short, quick drive from Rockingham to the Bundy condo. And now?

Now I was standing in Nicole's courtyard, in the dark, listening to the loud, rhythmic, accelerated beating of my own heart. I put my left hand to my heart and my shirt felt strangely wet. I looked down at myself. For several moments, I couldn't get my mind around what I was seeing. The whole front of me was covered in blood, but it didn't compute. Is this really blood? I wondered. And whose blood is it? Is it mine? Am I hurt?

Wonder what Darwin would have to say about these two

An 18-year-old Kansas man was arrested over the weekend for allegedly shooting his friend on a dare.

Police said the incident began when the 17-year-old friend taunted the 18-year-old with a gun, saying the 18-year-old would not shoot him. The 18-year-old then shot his friend in the thigh, police said.

When police arrived, the two reportedly said the older teen had found the younger teen in the street with a gunshot wound, but police said they had reason to be suspicious. Police said the two had been using drugs at the time of the shooting. The 17-year-old was taken to a hospital and the 18-year-old was arrested for aggravated battery.

You're Forgiven

Bush, Olmert back Abbas

U.S. President George W. Bush and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert threw their collective political weight behind Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas today in a bid to prop up his moderate West Bank government.

In so doing, they sought to isolate Hamas, the extremist organization which forcibly took control of the Gaza Strip last week and forced Abbas to rebuild an emergency government in the West Bank.

The Bush administration, in a major policy shift, agreed to free up some $86 million (U.S.) in aid to the Fatah government of Abbas. The European Union, the biggest aid donor to the Palestinian government, also announced it would send frozen funds to the Abbas coffers.

Unfortunately, I'm not sure these moves will save Abbas or Fatah. The West Bank population do not like Abbas. The see him as representing the corrupt regime that ran the Palestinian Authority for years. The latest moves may only reinforce the belief that he is in bed with Bush and there is no one less popular in the Middle East than George Bush.

Technology Sucks

It took 2 days for the useless Ministry IT support staff to figure our why I couldn't get any email. The fools set it up wrong. I'm still waiting for my blackberry but who knows how long that will take. My computer at home went up in smoke today and last week my digital camera crashed.

Now all I need is for my cable to go down and it will be like living back in the 1960s.

Too Much Paper

I keep getting handed piles and piles of paper to read at this new job. My email isn't working. The phone keeps ringing but the calls are all for the person who last occupied my office. They lock the bathroom and I keep forgetting the key. Yeah everything is good.

This Blog is "Out of Order"

With smoke coming out of my computer this morning, I would say I'm in the market for a new one.

Ouch!

Toronto the 82nd most expensive city

Toronto, the most expensive city in Canada, has dropped 35 places to position No. 82 on a list of the world's most expensive cities.

The survey by Mercer Human Resource Consulting ranked 143 cities around the world, measuring the comparative cost of goods and services such as housing, transportation and food. The findings are designed to help multinational employers determine compensation for their expatriate workers.

Calgary and Vancouver also tumbled down the rankings, sliding from 71st place to 92nd and 56th to 89th, respectively.

Ottawa remains the cheapest city in 109th position.

The new scores reflect a low rate of inflation and stable housing prices.

Moscow is the world's most expensive city for the second year in a row, thanks to an appreciating ruble and rising housing costs, the survey found.

Topless Woman Have Legal Rights Too

Who knew it was legal for a woman to walk around with her breasts exposed in New York?

Well, Jill Coccaro did and now she has forced the city to fork over a $29,000 legal settlement for ille gally busting her when she law fully bared her bosom and went for a stroll two years ago.

She sued the city and the arresting officers last October. The city agreed to settle, without admitting any fault, on June 4.

Got to get used to the choppers

My new office is across from the Hospital for Sick Children. I'm about the same level as the hospital's roof which means I get to hear the sounds of a helicopter landing and taking off all day. A distraction I'm going to have to get used to.

My Dad has Only 17 Years to Go

An 111-year-old Japanese has just been named the world's oldest man by the Guinness Book of World Records.

Tomoji Tanabe, who lives with his 66-year-old son and the son's wife in Miyakonojo, about 900 km (560 miles) southwest of Tokyo on the island of Kyushu, met the city's mayor to receive a certificate from the Guinness Book of World Records recognising him as the oldest man.

A Japanese woman, Yone Minagawa, 114, who is listed by Guinness as the world's oldest person and also lives in Kyushu.

At 94, my dad has ways to go but to catch up to this pair. Japan has over 28,000 people aged 100 or more.

A Beatle Turns 65 Today

Welcome to Hamastan

This week saw the civil war between Hamas and Fatah in the Gaza finally come to end. Fatah was totally routed and its fighter killed leaving Hamas fully in control. As Hamas takes over the porous border with Egypt, you can be sure that there will be a steady stream of weapons, in particular rockets to launch into Israel.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas swore in an emergency Cabinet today and outlawed the militia forces of the Islamic Hamas movement, deepening the violent rupture in Palestinian society. Abbas issued decrees today annulling a law requiring the new government to be approved by parliament, which is dominated by Hamas, and outlawing the Islamic group's militias. In Gaza, deposed Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh has ignored Abbas' order firing him.

Abbas is weak and unable to enforce any of his edicts. It's only a matter of time before Hamas takes control of the West Bank so welcome to Hamastan.

A man widely believed to be the model for the smiling chef on Cream of Wheat boxes finally has a grave marker bearing his name.

Frank L. White died in 1938, and until this week, his grave in Woodlawn Cemetery bore only a tiny concrete marker with no name. Last week, a granite gravestone was placed at his burial site. It bears his name and an etching taken from the man depicted on the Cream of Wheat box.

The chef was photographed about 1900 while working in a Chicago restaurant. His name was not recorded. White was a chef, traveled a lot, was about the right age and told neighbors that he was the Cream of Wheat model, the Jackson Citizen Patriot said.

Sam The Record Man vs, A&A Records

With the closing of Sam's, I found this photo from the 1970s in an era when two giant records stores dominated Yonge Street in Toronto. Now it's iTunes and Amazon.com.

Forbes' Top 100 Celebrities

Well, Forbes's list of top 100 celebrities is out again and Oprah is on top again. It's the usual list though notable newcomers include Jay-Z, Justin Timberlake, Roger Federer, George Clooney, Vince Vaughan, Cate Blanchett, and Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter).

Notable dropoffs include Jennifer Lopez, Leonardo DiCaprio, Renee Zellweger, Bruce Springsteen, Halle Barry, Jim Carey and Denzel Washington. People you better call your agents quick!

There is justice...sometimes

Durham County District Attorney Mike Nifong will be disbarred for his disastrous prosecution of three Duke University lacrosse players falsely accused of rape, a disciplinary committee decided Saturday. Even the veteran prosecutor said the punishment was appropriate.

The committee chair said Nifong's early comments about the case — which included a confident proclamation that he wouldn't allow Durham to become known for "a bunch of lacrosse players from Duke raping a black girl" — were purposefully designed to boost his campaign for district attorney.

Happy Birthday Barry Manilow

Barry was born Barry Alan Pincus 64 years ago today. Everyone assumes he is gay but has been married. Though I guess that doesn't mean much these days. He is still singing Mandy in Vegas.

Starting a new job tomorrow

I've now got a longer commute including a ride on the subway with all manners of humanity...sweaty, stinky, etc. Also means a lot less time for blogging but I'll try my best to keep this thing going.

Garden Progress

Scarlett wishes all the Dads a Happy Fathers Day!