Don't Hike Naked in Switzerland

Naked hikers beware, the Swiss officials have got your number. After a recent influx in naked hiking among tourists (reportedly German), the police in the mountain region of Appenzell-Innerrhoden are cracking (no pun intended) down on violators. If caught, offenders will be issued a fine of 200 Swiss fracs ($170 USD). I wonder where the hikers keep their wallets?

Sweet Tooth Lands Teen in Jail

A teenager from Middleton, Ohio certainly has a sweet tooth. The 18 year old allegedly charged over $37,000 worth of candy to a purchase order from his high school. The order, which was placed to an online retailer, seemed a bit suspicious, so the police set up a sting.

The retailer sent an empty box to the order address, leading police right to the sticky fingered thief's door. No word on why he wanted that candy or the status of his dental health.

Careful, You Might Break a Nail

I am sad to report the Guinness Book record holder for long fingernails recently broke a nail. After a serious, but non-life threatening car accident, Salt Lake City Utah resident Lee Redmond lost 28 feet worth of finger nails. In 2008, Redmond's longest nail (her right thumb) was 2 feet, 11 inches. She has been growing her nails since 1979

I Love My Dog, but....

In India, a two year old boy was recently married to his neighbor's dog. The villager's believe this will keep him safe from being mauled by a wild animal. It seems the boy had a tooth growing on the outside of his upper gum. The tribe believed this was a bad omen and the boy was doomed to be attacked by a tiger or other wild beast.

Marriage to the dog is will serve as protection by the tribal god and will keep the boy from an almost certain death. The boy will be able to take a woman in marriage when he grows older without need of divorce from his furry friend.

Perhaps all this boy needs is an orthodontist later in life.

A Simple Thank You Will Do

An disagreement over manners got ugly in the other day in Falmouth, MA. It seems a 38 year-old man forgot to thank the 58 year-old man who held the door open for him. After being confronted about his oversight, the younger man offered a sarcastic "thank you."

An argument ensued which led the 38 year-old to retrieve a golf club from his car and start to wail on "Mr. Emily Post." He was charged with battery with a a dangerous weapon to which he pleaded not guilty.

I'd hate to meet that guy after a bad day on the golf course!

Crime Fighting with the Atomic Wedgie

Yvonne Morris, from Salt Lake City Utah, is being hailed as a hero. After seeing a a man breaking into her co-worker's car, she chased him down. In order to restrain the suspect, she hiked up his boxers and gave him a wedgie.

Morris held the suspect in a headlock until the police arrived. He is now pulling his undies out of his nether-regions from his comfortable cell at the Salt Lake County Jail.

Indian Giver

I have heard about many bitter divorce proceedings, however, this one takes the cake.

New York surgeon, Richard Batista, requested his wife return the Kidney he donated to her during a more blissful time in their relationship. Batista said if she couldn't return it she would need to compensate him $1.5 million. At least he came up with a rational alturnative!

Noah's Ark?

The Buffalo, NY SPCA had its hands full just recently when it was sent to a two bedroom apartment in the community. After entering the home, they were greeted by over 100 animals including chickens, rabbits, rodents, iguanas and tarantulas.

It took the SPCA several cages, crates and vans, plus an afternoon of fun to remove the menagerie from the building.

The apartment owners, who live on the second floor of the complex we cited for animal cruelty.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090210/ap_on_fe_st/odd_apartment_infestation

Backwards Thinking

With the Federal Stimulus package set to be passed, I decided it was important to understand just what my tax dollars were going to be funding. Imagine my confusion when I discovered $400 million dollars of aid was going to be filtered into programs designed to screen and prevent sexual transmitted diseases, however, all funding for abstinence education programs was removed. Huh? We're going to treat them once they are infected, but not tell them how to avoid the problem?

Furthermore, while funds are allotted for renovations and repairs to universities and colleges, no funds may be used for facilities that are utilized for worship, sectarian instruction or a school or department of divinity. It grieves me to think that schools are being denied this valuable aid simply because their curriculum includes religious instruction. Shouldn't this funding be based on need?

Like most Americans, my prayer is that policy makers put aside their differences and work together to get our country moving in the right direction. I just hope they are not adding pork to the barrel, while turning a blind eye to the programs that really need support.

Perhaps Your Day Wasn't So Bad

Even if you are having a really bad day, chances are good it is not as bad as the day Elvis Alonzo Barrett had. After the police tried to stop him for a traffic violation, Barrett decided to make a break.

His getaway, not only landed him in a heap of hot water with Boynton Beach, FL law enforcement officials, he was cited for a whopping 50 traffic violations, including speeding, running a red light and not wearing a seat belt. This was in addition to the charges for fleeing, eluding and reckless driving.

A Perfectly Good Bag O' Poo

Who could blame the cleaning lady at Leeds University in London when she threw away a bag of lizard feces? How could she know it represented seven years of research by Ph.D. student Daniel Bennett?

The bag of dung was part of Bennett's doctoral research. It was collected during a trip to the Philippines where he studied the butaan lizard, a rare family member of the komodo dragon.

After being offered the equivalent of $500 US dollars for his loss and a formal apology by the University, Bennett has decided to settle his case in the British legal system.

I Wonder What Would Happen If...

Just because they do it in the movies, doesn't mean you should try it yourself. Just like Ralphie from the Christmas Story, there have been several reports this winter of children who wanted to see what would happen if they licked a metal pole. On January 14 a boy in Hammond, Indiana gave a pole a lick. While on January 15 a six year old boy in Omaha, Nebraska did the same.

Both incidents had the same end result. The boys suffered through a mouth full of blood, while trace pieces of frozen tongue were scraped off the poles. When will they ever learn?

How Clean is Your Desk?

According to a recent story from MSN, my desk...or Your desk is 400 times dirtier that a toilet. The report goes on to say that the average desktop has over ten million germs. Researchers state because we spend so much time at our desks these days, our desks are dirtier. In addition, many workers don't leave their cubical for lunch or snacks only adding to the germ build up.

There are, however, dirtier places to work...the top five germiest jobs include the following:

1. Teacher -- 17,800 bacteria per square inch
2. Accountant -- 6,030 bacteria per square inch
3. Banker -- 5,400 bacteria per square inch
4. Radio DJ -- 3,323 bacteria per square inch
5. Doctor -- 2,620 bacteria per square inch

By comparison, the average toilet seat has 1,000 bacteria per square inch. Pretty gross, huh?

http://msn.careerbuilder.com/Article/MSN-1786-Job-Info-and-Trends-Is-Your-Job-Germy/?cbsid=7dca9f6107de413587fcd86d1d384af0-287102468-R8-4&sc_extcmp=JS_1786_home1&cbRecursionCnt=2&SiteId=cbmsnhp41786&ArticleID=1786&gt1=23000

Not Wii Fit?

I was shocked when I read today that the Wii Fit I received for Christmas would not be my weight loss salvation. Actually, I was not surprised at all. I was ready to chuck our Wii fit when it gave me a Wii fit "age" of 46 -- mind you I just turned 4o in September.

I am not prideful when I say this...but I have run four marathons and two half marathons, and I run three to four times a week, strength train occasionally and really try to maintain a healthy diet. My age on the Wii fit was not based on lifestyle parameters, but rather on my coordination -- could I move my feet correctly using the balance board to get two pink bars in a certain area on the screen. Now I will be the first to admit that I am not coordinated, but I am also under no circumstances 46!

This is why I was overjoyed when I read that researchers actually back me up on my stance. While it is a fun game and does get people who would otherwise lead sedentary lives off the couch, it will probably not give anyone six pack abs or provide the conditioning needed to run an endurance sport.

http://videogames.yahoo.com/feature/the-truth-about-wii-fit-and-weight-loss/1284826

All In a Day's Work

Even if you're having a bad day, it couldn't be as bad as the day a New York cabbie recently had. After a group of woman left his cab without paying their fare, he was beaten by a group of good Samaritans.

The cabbie was spotted by the group holding onto a purse belonging to one of the women in an attempt to stop her from running away without paying. Assuming they were seeing a purse snatching in action, the group ran to the fair maiden's defense.

The cabbie suffered several bruises and cuts for his efforts, however, the four women were later arrested and cited for fare jumping.

The Perfect Present

This story actually brought tears to my eyes. Little Gabriel Hurles from Nevada was celebrating his 6th birthday with his friends at school. The gooey cupcakes his mother brought were so enticing, he didn't even see the six foot package addressed to him. It wasn't until his friend told him to open his present that he noticed.

Carefully he unwrapped his present, and to his surprise it was the gift he had been hoping for...his dad! Army Spc. Casey Hurles had been serving in Iraq since June. Casey blinked his eyes and stated "it's my dad!" Hurles is seven months into his second tour in Iraq which should be over sometime between June and September.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090130/ap_on_fe_st/odd_birthday_surprise

Keeping the Streets Safe

In an effort to keep thier city streets safe, citizens across the United States have taken on the role of super hero. Donning homemade costumes, these do gooders actually patrol the streets at night in the name of all that is decent and lawful.

At last count, there were approximately 200 crime fighters listed in the World Super Hero Registry. Among those the Green Scorpion (Phoenix, AZ), Terrifica (New York), Master Ledgend (Orlando, FL) and Mr. Silent (Indianapolis, IN).

While I'm not sure I feel safer today, I would like to get a glimpse of their spandex get-ups just for the photo op!

Don't Eat the Blowfish

Despite the fact that they are poisonous and require a special license and training to prepare, seven people in Japan have learned what not to order from the "special" menu. After eating a rare Japanese delicacy, blowfish testicles, they were all sickened and hospitalized. There is no word on their condition.

Aw man...I hoping to have this for lunch. I guess I should stick with the PB&J today.

Chicago's Finest?

Unbeknown to the other members of the police force, a fourteen-year-old Chicago boy got to live his dream of becoming a police officer (before he grew up!). Dressed in a police uniform the boy entered a precinct house. He was partnered with another officer and hit the streets.

The young officer was "on the job" for five hours, before his illegal infiltration was discovered. Only after one of the observant members of the force noticed that he did not have the Chicago Police Department's official badge was he asked to retire from official duty.

I wonder how long he would have lasted as a fireman.

http://www.nypost.com/seven/01272009/news/weirdbuttrue/weirdbuttrue.htm

Girl Scouts Getting Stingy?

Does it seem like your Thin Mints just vanished into thin air this year? While you may overindulge in this perennial Girl Scout Cookie favorite, the shrinking number of cookies in the box, might also have something to do with their rapid disappearance.

In an effort to cut costs while keeping prices the same, the Girl Scouts have decreased the number of cookies per box in some of their most popular varieties. Among those minimized is the ever popular Thin Mint.

So, like most of us, you are probably still eating too many cookies, you might not be eating as many as you did last year!

http://www.khou.com/news/state/stories/khou090122_tnt_girl-scout-cookies.1c905c55.html

Do You Swear to Tell the Truth...the Whole Truth....

Liar beware, there is a new way to determine who is telling the truth. Aiden Gregg, a psychologist at England's University of Southhampton, has created a test (timed antagonistic response alethiometer - TARA) to determine when a lie is being told.

Gregg's test showed it takes 30 percent longer to tell a lie. This means if it takes 1.2 seconds to tell the truth, lying about the same subject matter will take 1.8 seconds. He hopes that this method might provide an alternative to the traditional polygraph test, which pinpoints lying based on physiological changes such as sweating and increased pulse. Research has shown that many habitual liars are finding ways to combat these methods and are outsmarting the test. By contrast, during laboratory testing, the TARA method was able to determine 85 percent of lies.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/20090126/sc_livescience/liestakelongerthantruths

Do 6th Graders Really Know What They Want?

As the mother of a sixth grader, I am appalled at the latest action by the Milwaukee Public School District (MPS). In what is said to be a way to prevent bullying, the district will open the first "gay-friendly" middle school in the 2009-10 school year. While this public charter school will be open to all children, the primary focus is to provide a place for sixth, seventh and eighth graders who would otherwise leave the school setting, because they are harassed because of their sexual orientation.

Because my child is not in an urban setting, like the children of MPS, I do not pretend to understand the mindset of a the kids who will attend this school. However, I do not believe that a child as young as 11 has a clear understanding of their sexuality. In addition, I contend that school is not the place to address such a matter.

http://www.usnews.com/blogs/on-education/2008/12/17/milwaukee-to-form-gay-friendly-middle-school.html

Is the Ice Age Coming Again?

Today is a very cold day where I live. It is enough to make me think that global warming is simply a term scientists came up with when their air conditioners weren't working. With all the fear of melting polar ice caps because of the depleting atmosphere, one might think we are destined to live in a tropical paradise soon.

Hold on people! It wasn't too long ago that scientists were predicting just the opposite. In the mid-1970's after several record cold winters, climatologists felt certain we were heading for another ice age. The signs were imminent. From the persistent ice pack around Iceland, to the downward trend in temperatures. The scientists were so certain that we would soon be frozen that they were wondering what the government was going to do to help the situation. Funny how quickly we forget!

See the 1970's articles from Time and Newsweek:

http://sweetness-light.com/archive/newsweeks-1975-article-about-the-coming-ice-agehttp://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,944914,00.html

Obama Recinds Abortion Policy

With a powerful pen in hand, President Obama reversed a ban providing federal funds to international abortion groups. This long standing policy of the Bush administration was one that the new President took little time to abolish. According to Hillary Rodham Clinton, the new Secretary of State, the policy blocked women throughout the world from receiving information and health care regarding reproductive health.

I think Ms. Clinton is forgetting that the United States provides millions of dollars towards family planning assistance and information throughout the world. In addition, the fact that taxpayer dollars are used for this measure does not bode well with those who are opposed on the grounds of immorality.

It is no surprise that Obama reversed the Bush policy, however, I question why it was done late on Friday afternoon, without the huge press coverage given to his work on Tuesday of closing GITMO. Perhaps he was concerned about the public outcry on this emotionally fueled policy.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090123/ap_on_go_pr_wh/obama_abortion_ban

England Joins the Party

As if they needed an official report, today the British press announced that their country is "officially" in a recession. It seems our friends across the pond are in even worse shape than the United States. According to the report, the value of the pound is at a 23-year low, unemployment is at 6.1 percent and the government is bailing out banks left and right. In fact the British Government now has a 70 percent stake in the Royal Bank of Scotland, which is controlling interest in the financial giant. It seems the United States is not alone in its financial woes.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/mcclatchy/20090123/wl_mcclatchy/3152148

They Arrested a Goat?

Okay, this has to be the weirdest article I have ever seen. According to a Nigerian newspaper, a suspect that police were trying to arrest for theft transformed himself into a goat. Yes, you read correct....a G-O-A-T.

According to the police chief, Tunde Mohammed, the Um...er....goat and another individual were seen two days earlier trying to steal a car. According to Mohammed, one suspect escaped while the other, turned into a goat as they were trying to arrest him. A photograph of the suspect can be seen to the right of this blog. He looks guilty to me!

the entire story as run on the AP wire can be found at: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090123/ap_on_fe_st/odd_goat_thief.