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Archive Notes

20 May

The Right Stuff

David Sneath won $136 million in the Mega Millions lottery.  First thing he told his boss when he realized he had won- "I'm outta here!"  Ahh- the fantasy for us all.  So now we all have to envy Sneath.  But also admire him: upon winning, he had his ex-wife accompany him to the presentation of the big check.  Furthermore, Sneath had consistently contributed $6 every week to a lottery pool with fellow employees;  however his winning ticket was purchased at his request by his son, using numbers that Sneath had used for some time.  Even though it was his chosen number and his personal ticket, he plans to give the four co-workers from the lottery pool $1 million each out of his winnings.  Wow.  Full story.

The Cascade Effect

The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine has determined these facts about obesity:  obese people consume 18% more calories than the average person.  They also use more fuel, which in turn makes for environmental impact and drives up food prices.  This then results in the poor struggling to afford food and greenhouse gases go up.  Additionally- the World Health Organization predicts that the obese population will double by 2015 (to 700 million).  

Imagine That 

Cornelia Turner Mayo was one of many in a group that had been narrowed to 20 people to act as jurors in a marijuana possession trial in Texas.  During a break for the prospective jurors, Mayo failed to return at the end of the 45-minute break.  The judge was set to issue a bench warrant for the missing Ms. Mayo for her failure to return to her court duty.  However, before the judge could act, he was informed that Mayo had been arrested for possession of marijuana after being caught allegedly smoking pot during the break.

Inexplicable

Stanislaw County, California, police were called to a local Jack-in-the-Box fast food restaurant after a rocket launcher - with rockets - was found in the trash dumpster behind the business.  The bomb squad was called and found that the launcher was found to be non-functional.  No explanation on how the weapon made its way into the trash bin.

No Suprise

FYI- The American Lung Association, which issues yearly rankings on air quality for major metropolitan areas in the US, reports that Los Angeles has the worst air pollution across all categories in its annual study.

Living - Well... Dying - Without Friends

Hedviga Golik, a woman living in the Croatian town of Zagreb, died in 1973.  Strangely enough, her body wasn't found until recently when other residents of the building where she lived broke into her apartment.  The fellow tenants broke in as they were angry and felt the apartment should belong to them.  Golik's body was found in bed.  Where it had laid undisturbed for 35 years. 

Awful Way to NOT Go

A Roseville, MN, man tried to commit suicide by throwing himself head-first into an industrial-sized wood chipper being used by a tree-clearing crew in a public area.  The man survived, and was rushed to the hospital and treated for severe injuries to his head and torso.

Must Be Bad in Muskogee

FYI- Citizens of Muskogee, OK, just elected a 19-year-old freshman from the University of Oklahoma to be mayor of their town of 38,000 people

13 May

The Dark Magic

You're a substitute teacher, and to amuse the students - who just treat you... like the substitute - you perform a magic trick that makes a toothpick disappear.  Tim Picoulas, a substitute teacher in Land 'O Lakes, FL, performed this 30-second trick for his class.  Later that day the head of supervisors for substitute teachers called him in and told him he had been accused of 'wizardry' and that he couldn't take any more teaching assignments.  It remains to be seen if the nefarious Mr. Picoulas will be allowed to teach any more in Land 'O Lakes.

Irony

A Belgian woman was recently charged with false imprisonment after locking her ex-boyfriend up in her home for five months.  Reports say that the ex was 'mistreated and not fed well.'  Ironically, the man was wanted for drug dealing at the time of his abduction and imprisonment, and is now in jail.  

Go Sit There 

Ghokan Mutlu got the last seat on a JetBlue flight, using a 'buddy-pass,' a standby travel voucher that JetBlue employees can give to friends.  One-and-half-hours into the flight, the pilot told him to 'go hang out in the bathroom,' as Mutlu had to give up his seat to a flight attendant - who was also traveling on a free pass - that had complained that the additional airplane 'jump seat' she had gotten relegated to was uncomfortable.  Mutlu was not permitted to take over the uncomfy jump seat, as only JetBlue employees are permitted to fly in this seat.  As such, he was sent to the bathroom for the majority of the flight.  He is suing JetBlue for $2 million dollars.  Full story- link.

Popular Names

According to the US Social Security Administration, the most popular names for babies born in 2007 were Jacob for boys, and Emily for girls.  Nothing out of the ordinary for the remainder of the Top 10 for boys, but on the girl side is Abigail, in at #8 with a bullet.  However, of interest are some of the names on the male side in the top 1,000: Jayden; Jaden; Jadyn; Jaydin; Jaidyn; Jaydan; Haiden; Kadyn; Adin; and Raiden.  Also appearing in the girl's top 1,000: Jayden; Jadyn; Jaden; Jaiden; Jaidyn.  And Kayden.

Absolute Cheapskates

18-year-old Jared Gray found a bag full of cash outside the school where he works as a custodian.  Being the well-raised honest soul that we should all be proud of, Gray turned the deposit bag - which had $108,000 in it - in to officials at Southern Utah University.  His reward?- $20, a batch of cookies, and a 'promise of financial aid if he decides to attend the school.'  [Editorial note- he should have kept the money.  20 bucks, some cookies, and a feel-good promise? Cheapskates]

Simple Cheapskates

Eli Estrada recently found a bag with $140,000 in it.  The landscaper 'did the right thing' and turned the bag in to the police.  He didn't ask for a reward.  For his good deed, the Brinks company, which owns the bag, gave him a $2,000 reward. [Again- facing total loss of $140,000, the magnanimous company that lost the money in the first place gave a reward of 1.4% of the cash.  Cheapskates]

An Auction You Probably Missed

During an auction last week, a large chunk of fossilized dinosaur dung got snatched up for $960.  In the same auction, a 4.5 billion-year-old meteorite got passed over and was left unsold.  Granted, the meteorite was expected to sell for about $2.5 million, but still!-  Pooh before ancient space rock?

Too Much to Tell

William Johnson ran into a bit of trouble in Texas a few weeks ago.  This section of Alpha Dad is dedicated to interesting and unusual news and such, but the entirety of  Mr. Johnson's tale is too long to relate here.  You should go read the full article.  As a teaser- the story includes a six-foot alligator, allegedly stolen highly-valuable hair clippers and a game controller in his pockets.  And a snake. Full article.

Declining Value 

Alan Greenspan was formerly the chairman of the US Federal Reserve.  His decisions affected everything financial in the US- interest rates; inflation; return on investments.  Quite ironic that at a charity auction last year, a tea date with Greenspan and his wife went for $45,000.  With only a day left on the bidding in this year's auction, the maestro of money is only going for $16,000.  Quite a decline in residual value, I would say.  Auction website- link.

Another Piece of Insanity

Frank Tassone was formerly the superintendent of a school district on Long Island, NY.  He was convicted of embezzling $2.2 million from the district and is currently in prison.  This doesn't keep him from receiving his municipal retirement pension of more than $173,000 a year.

Cat People

When police went to Michael Vondueren's house to check on his elderly mother, they found over 300 frozen cats in three freezers at the residence.  There was obviously some sort of dysfunction at hand, as the house was a virtual health hazard, and still had numerous live cats roaming the place.

Public Safety

You may have seen this video of a DEA Officer accidentally shooting himself in the leg while giving a presentation on gun safety to school children.  Well, he's not alone now.  Police chief Dave Hansen, of Riverdale, UT, shot himself in the leg while giving a firearms lesson.  Hansen was demonstrating how to clean a gun when it jammed while he was attempting to clear the weapon, fired, and hit him in the ankle.

29 April

Doh!
Let's say you run into some trouble and get arrested in a raid on a brothel. Big problems, because you're a public official. Wait- not only are you a public official, you're the chief of police. And last but not least- you're not just the chief of police, you're the chief of police for Tehran, Iran. General Reza Zarei was jailed and forced to resign in March after being caught with six nude women in a police raid on an underground local brothel.

Where Your 42¢ Goes
The US Postal Service is defending it's expenditure of $13,500 for steak dinners at Ruth's Chris Steak House in Orlando, Florida. The USPS defended the expenses, as they claimed it was reasonable to 'woo corporate clients.' A Postal Service spokesman stated: "This is not taxpayer money. What we spend is what we make. The Postal Service is funded solely by our products and services." The final tally on the dinner bill - for 81 dinners - the dinners averaged out to $160 per person, as well as purchase of over 200 appetizers, more than $3,000 in alcohol, of which there were more than 40 bottles of wine of more than $50 each.
 

Another Genius at Work
Cyheam Forney was caught driving without a license by police in NY. His license was currently suspended, and had been suspended 35 times previously. He was given a number of citations: making an illegal left turn, driving without a license, substandard tires, and windows tinted too dark. The cap to the whole report is- Forney attempted to pass a counterfeit $50 bill at the police station, was arrested again and charged with forgery.

Everything Collectible
Sheik Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, the son of the Dubai monarch, Sheik Mohammed, recently bought a small lot of camels for $4.5 million. During a desert festival in the Dubai emirate, the royal bought 16 camels, paying $2.7 million for the most expensive animal in his purchase. The camel auction was part of a larger celebration in which there was a 'camel beauty pageant,' presided over by five judges. Elite camels, much like racing horses, are enthusiastically collected in the Middle East.

Parenting Choices
Joseph Manares was arrested in early April as a result of a domestic disturbance with his girlfriend after an argument. Subject of the dispute- which gang their toddler would join. Manares is a member of the Westside Ballers, a Hispanic gang. His girlfriend is a member of the Crips. Manares and his girlfriend could not come to terms over which gang the child would join and 'claim,' and the argument became heated. Manares was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct, harassment, and domestic violence.

 

8 April

A Dream Come True

There are some students and teachers in Evansville, Indiana that were very upset last week.  Three highs schools and one middle school had a computer malfunction which wiped out a month's grades in the school databases.  Honor students and their parents, as well as administrators and teachers, were frustrated with the loss of the recorded grades.  Of course, the students not performing so well were very pleased that they had another chance.

Tough

Judy Berens owns the Panther Ridge Conservation Center, a facility that provides homes for exotic animals.  She was attacked recently by two cheetahs in the center, receiving 40 puncture wounds and had to be airlifted to the hospital.  Her remarks on the attack: that it was "not a big deal."

Just So You Know 

The Transportation Security Administration reports that almost 11% of US airline pilots are now cleared to carry a handgun while flying.  Almost 90,000 pilots and crewmembers flying on domestic passenger and cargo flights are eligible to carry guns; and the 11% have now been cleared to do so.  The TSA expects the number cleared to rise to 16.5% by 2011.

New Snake Oil

Bayou Bob is in trouble.  Bob Popplewell, who runs Bayou Bob's Brazos River Rattlesnake Ranch had been selling a product that he promotes as an 'ancient Asian elixir.'  Contents of the stuff are a rattlesnake in a bottle of vodka.  He was recently arrested by the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission for selling alcohol without a license, and they confiscated 429 bottles of the vodka and snake tonic, as well a bottle of snake tequila.  Bayou Bob contends that his innovative product is a healing tonic, and that he has customers of Asian descent that believe in the to stuff's medicinal properties.  He intends to fight the charges.

Better Stay in School

The Oceanside, California City Council recently approved a proposal for school truants to be ordered to pay up to a $250 fine or perform community service if they are caught out of school. 

Too Weird

Lansing, Michigan police are looking for a woman who stole a baby boa constrictor from a local pet store by putting the snake down her pants and walking out of the store.  The crime was caught on security video, and the woman is seen taking the snake out of its glass case, and putting it down the front of her pants.  The snake is reported to be between 18 and 22 inches long.

Too Weird... and Expensive

At a recent lingerie fashion show in Singapore, the company Triumph International showcased a novel - and expensive - signature piece.  The lingerie in question- a pair of underwear grandly named the Triumph Luxurious Diamond Thong.  Woven into the thong are 518 diamonds; about 30 carats in weight.  The tiny underwear is worth $168,000.

Spite

Branko Zivko, a farmer in Serbia, was ordered by the court during divorce proceedings to share with his ex-wife half of all his property.  In an interview with a Belgrade paper, he claims that he had been prepared to share equally everything accumulated during the 45 years he was married to his ex-wife.  However, when he was directed by the court to give away half his farming equipment he became so furious that he did just what the court had demanded- divvied up all the tools and equipment in halves.  He accomplished this by purchasing a grinder, and cut in half all his tools, a cattle scale, a harrow, and a sowing machine.  In his statement to the newspaper, he remarked: "I still haven't decided how to split the cow.  She should just say what she wants - the part with the horns or the part with the tail."

1 April

Ridiculous Criminals- Foreword
Garrett A. Dalton was a correction officer in Connecticut that claimed he had been injured on the job, and was collecting worker's compensation. During the time that he claimed he was too injured to work, he was caught on video competing in a radio station promotional contest, running a 40-yard dash in women's clothing and high heels, as part of the loony contest. He's been charged with worker's compensation fraud.

Ridiculous Criminals Part I
A 54-year-old Texas man showed up for a court-ordered DUI class smelling of alcohol. When police administered a breath test, he was found to have a blood-alcohol content of 0.14.

Ridiculous Criminals Part II
A West Virginia man stopped at a police sobriety checkpoint recently, handed over his driver's license for review, and then sped off. Upon fleeing, the police followed en masse, pursuing him. As he made his escape, police saw him tossing a number of small bags out the window of his car. The bags contained 20 grams of marijuana. The man was charged with flight from a police officer, drunken driving and drug possession.

Ridiculous Criminals Part III
A Florida man approached a police officer and begged him for a ride home. In response to his obviously erratic behavior - and apparently before they were willing to give him a ride - they patted him down. And found marijuana on him. Police then found marijuana plants growing in the vicinity the man's residence.

Ridiculous Criminals Part IV- Complaints
1) A 50-year-old Florida woman approached a sheriff's deputy to complain that she had been sold 'bad crack.' When the police tested the crack that she had puchased, it was positive for cocaine. The man who allegedly sold the woman the crack was searched and released, while the 'complainant' was charged with drug possession. 2) A Kansas man called police to report that he had been robbed at gunpoint for a pound of his marijuana. When police came to investigate the 'claim;' rather- the 'complainant,' they found more marijuana and drug paraphernalia. 3) A Minnesota man called 911 with the claim that he was being chased by police. He made the call from a tree. When police arrived, they decided the man was having drug-induced hallucinations, and attempted to talk him down. Instead, the man fell out of the tree and was subsequently arrested on an outstanding warrant.

Sheer Greed I
In a complicated resolution of property tax withholdings and settlement, Larry Ellison - the creator of software giant Oracle - is to receive a $3 million rebate on taxes he has paid since 2004. He will also receive a reduction of 60% of his tax liablity. The refund will come directly from the town and school resources of San Francisco, where Ellison's property - the subject of the tax situation - is located. Sadly, the local schools alone will bear the cost of $1.4 million of the rebate. The real shame- Ellison is worth approximately $25 billion. More on the account- link.

Sheer Greed II
James Caynes, The CEO of Bear Stearns, a brokerage and investment banking firm, along with his wife, have cashed in their stock in the company, receiving a $61 million windfall. The company stock under Caynes peaked at $171 in the last year. It is currently trading at about $11.
 

25 March

Great Idea; Poor Result

Lufki Hajji loved his girl.  So much he went out and bought her a $12,000 engagement ring, and came up with a great way to present it to her.  He put the expensive ring in a helium balloon and would pop the balloon at the moment he proposed.  However, when he left the shop with the balloon, a gust of wind yanked the balloon out of his hand and floated away.  He chased the balloon for two hours in his car, trying to catch up with it.  All this was in vain.  When he had to tell his fiancée what had happened to the ring "... she went absolutely mad.  Now she is refusing to speak to me until I get her a new ring." Apparently it's not the ($12,000) thought that counts; get me another one.

Come On!

A New York businessman has filed suit against the Hot Lap Dance Club, seeking damages for an injury he claims he suffered while at the club.  Stephen Chang contends that he was getting a paid lap dance when the dancer swung around and hit him in the eye with the heel of her shoe. 

Coca

A number of Peruvian congress members protested the criminalization of traditional coca use by handing out coca leaves at a hearing on the subject in Peru's legislative body.  The UN had issued a recommendation to outlaw coca chewing and related traditional uses in an effort to curb cocaine production.  During the protest, many of the lawmakers in the legislative chamber were offered, and took, coca leaves and chewed them defiantly to boos and hisses.  Peru  is the number two producer of coca in the world.

Serious Debt Collection

Joan Kennedy Biddle, is the great-granddaughter of Thomas Pugh Kennedy.  During the Civil War, the city of Tampa was in dire need of ammunition, but didn't have the funds to pay for it.  The city issued a promissory note to Kennedy on June 21, 1861 for the ammo.  The note has never been paid. Kennedy Biddle has now brought suit against the city of Tampa for repayment of the note, at 8% interest.  With this calculation, the note is now worth over $22 million.  Tampa contests the recovery.

Creating Euphemisms

For the discussion and gauging performance of schools, these academic institutions have been labeled as 'chronically underperforming.'  This was seen as too hurtful and negative by the Massachusetts Board of Education.   The board recently spent the larger part of three meetings to come up with a nicer, more palatable term for schools that have been labeled as such since the Education Reform Act of 1993.  The term they came up with after all that debate and discussion?- Those institutions that were formerly known a 'chronically underperforming' are now referred to as 'priority one' in Massachusetts.

Do a Rotten Job, Get a Big Raise

Edgar Bronfman is the CEO of WMG, a record company.  Bronfman was conned out of $30 million last year by a concert promoter last year.  The 'record' company doesn't have a single CD in the Billboard Top 10.  WMG stock was running at about $5 a share in the middle of March; the same time last year the stock was $18.22.  Bronfman's new employment contract?- He's guaranteed a base salary of $1 million per year for five years, with incentives for a target bonus of 300% of base salary, with a maximum of 600%.

18 March

Too Weird

A Bremerton, Washington woman was arrested for assault after an altercation with her boyfriend.  The problem began with an argument over whether the boyfriend's dog could join them in the shower.  The woman objected, and said it would be an end to their relationship.  The boyfriend responded that he hoped his next girlfriend would appreciate the dog more.  At that point in the discussion, the woman punched the man in the face several times.

Good Deed

The pun - to provide a helping fin - has to be avoided in presenting the account, but a dolphin helped save stranded whales in New Zealand.  A relatively tame and friendly dolphin that is known for swimming with humans in the vicinity of North Island, New Zealand, gave assistance to two stranded pygmy sperm whales.  Of his own accord.  The two whales had beached themselves a number of times, and human rescuers had given up on trying to get them back out to sea.  Enter Moko, the friendly dolphin, who swam up to the stranded mother whale and her calf, seemed to converse with them in some language indecipherable to the rescuers, and guided the whales through a channel to deep water. More on the account.

You Gotta Try

Washington D.C. police are commencing on an ambitious plan to assist in the effort to get illegal guns and drugs off the streets in the city.  The program proposes to approach residents in the poorest parts of the city, offer them complete amnesty on any contraband found in a permitted search of their residence.  Participants would willingly agree to a search of their home by signing a consent form, and the police will then make the search, confiscating any illegal items.  Amnesty will be sincerely extended on anything in the residences searched.  There are critics and doubters of the proposal, but the D.C. police are willing to use any measure to assist in getting illegal drugs and weapons out of the community.

Serious Crime

Both they buyer and sellers of verboten contraband - Skittles - were suspended from school for three days, and barred from attending an honors student dinner.  The student buying the candy was also stripped of his title of class vice president.  The administrators of the Sheridan Communications and Technology Middle School, of New Haven, Connecticut, defended the severe punishment, issuing the statement that "There are no candy sales allowed in schools, period."

Two Weird, Part II

Jim McGreevey, former N.J. governor, confirmed reports that he and his wife had 'threesomes' with a male aide while he was a local official and running for the governership.  McGreevey had resigned the governor's seat in 2004, after the acrimonious revelation that he had facilitated citizenship for an Israeli national, then appointed the man to the post of homeland security czar of the state, even though the man was ineligible for a security clearance.  McGreevey was also accused of sexual harassment by male employees.  McGreevey subsequently admitted he was gay, even though he was married at the time.  Two books resulted from the entire affair- an account by McGreevey, and one by his then, now ex-wife, about the entire debacle.   Dina Matos McGreevey, the spurned ex-wife, denies the revelations.  All this has come to the forefront, as Matos McGreevey has appeared numerous times on TV, commenting on the latest scandal surrounding N.Y. Governor Spitzer's paying thousands for high-end prostitutes.

Too Weird, Part III

Neil Jorgensen was an employee at the Riverside Casino and Gold resort in Iowa City, Iowa.  The casino gave him a $100 gift certificate and a free night at the casino's hotel, in recognition of Jorgensen's year of employment with the company.  He took advantage of the reward, staying at the hotel, and eating at the steakhouse in the casino.  Problems arose when Jorgensen returned to his room, and called the manager, first asking for help in ordering an adult movie, then a second call "and asked for a hooker."  The managers refused the request, and Jorgensen subsequently called an adjacent resort and made the same demand.  When employees of the Riverside were sent to his room to insist that he stop calling for prostitutes, Jorgensen answered the door in the nude.  Jorgensen was fired the next day, and subsequently brought suit in a claim for benefits - which were denied by the court.  His explanation of the event and his audacious requests- "The advertisement is that it's just like Las Vegas, so I thought I was in Las Vegas." 

11 Mar

One Last Ride

George Helms was a big NASCAR fan.  He always wanted to participate in a NASCAR race while he lived, but he was 6'5" and weighed 400 lbs.  Big George died in December, but his family wanted to give him a last wish in getting him on the track.  NASCAR driver Mike Harmon taped an urn with Helms' ashes in it to the fire extinguisher in his car, and ran a race recently with Big George riding along.

Folding Car

It likely won't be for a while yet, but be prepared to get rid of your monster SUV and use public transport 'folding cars.'  MIT researchers are enthusiastic about computer plans for folding cars that can be stacked around a metro area.  The cars can then be taken up by individuals, much like taxis, driven to their next city destination, folded up, and left for other customers.  Article on the concept.

Distance Car

Also in the news is a high-mileage car in development by German designers.  The car is called Loremo - Low Resistance Mobile - and is powered by a two-cylinder diesel engine.  Relying on low drag, reduction in weight and other design features, the creators claim that the car will be able to achieve 150 mpg.  Details are still scarce, but the designers plan to put the car in production next year, at a projected entry price of about $22,000.

Dynamic Duo

A pair of twins, Keyontyli and Taleon Goffney, who previously had been (in)famous for their work in gay porn, have been charged with a string of burglaries in the Philadelphia area.  Taleon appears to have been the bad apple of the pair, with previous charges.  He had previously made daring escapes from police; once escaping custody after a drug bust by breaking out the glass of the moving police cruiser in which he was being transported, and jumping into a lake and swimming away.

Not Like the Old Days

The German Army was once the most feared military force in the world, having brought the Nazi regime close to world domination.  That force is now full of soldiers that are fat, smoke too much, and don't exercise enough, says a report issued by the German armed services.  The report indicates that 40% of soldiers 18-29 are overweight, smoke too much, and don't do enough sport.

No Good Deed Goes Unpunished

In a good deed, Sovas had been on a ladder, trying to get ice and snow off the roof of his ex-wife's house.  While he was clearing the stuff, a huge portion broke off and slid down the roof, knocking him off the ladder, burying him.  Buried under snow and ice, in Maine in the middle of winter, Sovas was in danger of dying from the cold.  He remained calm, eventually freeing his cell phone, opening the phone with his teeth and dialing 911, after being completely covered and immobilized for two hours.

Don't Be a Dog in Miami

Apparently, it's bad to be a dog and belong to Miami area police, as there have recently been two unrelated animal abuse cases involving Miami area officers.  A Miami-Dade County police sergeant has been charged with killing his German shepherd by kicking it to death.  Another officer, with the Miami Police Department, was charged with allowing his service dog to starve to death.

4 Mar

Picked the Wrong Victims

An armed man and his accomplice attempted to hold up an Australian bar, where the group The Southern Cross Cruiser Club, was holding a meeting.  The robbers were armed with machetes, but one of the men was tackled by a band of the bar patrons, and tied up until police arrived.  He was taken to the hospital with minor injuries; his partner in crime was shortly arrested nearby the club.  The key to the whole crime gone bad- The Southern Cross Cruiser Club is a biker gang.

Not Just Fake Watches Any More

It took a while, but now they're selling fake Ferraris.  Italian police broke up a counterfeit ring of 15 people, that were producing red Ferrari knock-offs. The able-bodied bunch of car mechanics and body workers produced the high-end fakes using a few parts from originals and a number of components from other car makes pieced together.  Even though most of the intended recipients knew they were getting a fake of the exclusive Ferrari brand, some paid about 20,000 euros, which is about 10% of cost of the real thing.  Authorities in Italy - the home of the actual Ferrari make - weren't too amenable to the activity.

Also Fake; Also in Italy

Italian police confiscated 1,000 hams  that had fake trademarks stamped on them in February.  The hams were branded with the Parma prosciutto trademark, and found in violation of trademark law.  Meats of the Parma marking must come from pigs of distinct weight, the right amount of fat, and be aged in rooms where the air quality and sunlight are strictly controlled. The counterfeit hams weren't harmful, but in the end weren't up to the exclusive branding as - according to Carabinieri Umberto Santone - they didn't have "... the same quality, the same aroma, and the same sweetness."

'Smells Right'

A new dating service now offers matchmaking for clients based on how prospects smell.  The Massachusetts firm, ScientificMatch.com asks the usual questions on client preferences, but adds in a test to determine their 'major histocompatibility complex.'  Basically- how they like a mate to smell.  Compatibility for clients is claimed to be higher than traditional dating services.  Cost for the service- about $2,000.

Collectible

Four strands claimed to be from the head of the first American president, George Washington, were recently auctioned off for $17,000.  The authenticity of the hairs is undetermined, but didn't deter the buyers, although the auctioneers had hoped they would bring at least $75,000.

In Case You Didn't Know

A seed bank, dubbed the 'Doomsday Vault' has been opened on an island in the Arctic Ocean.  The collection of seeds, to number in the millions, was opened to protect them from war, natural disaster, or any other means of destruction, ensuring the survival of a wide variety of agricultural products.

Start Saving

Fidelity Investments estimates that an average 65-year-old couple should have $225,000 set aside for medical expenses if they're retiring in 2008.

24 Feb

A Challenge We'd Like to Take On

Pastor Paul Worth of the Relevant Church in Florida has given the married members of his congregation a challenge.  It's called the '30-day Sex Challenge.'  Citing the 50% divorce rate, Worth feels that sexual relations between married people is one of the best ways to divert separation.  Thus, he has made the assignment of having sex every day for 30 days straight to fire up the marriage.  This assignment was only made for the married members of the church.

'The Children are the Winners'

Hundreds of shirts and caps, emblazoned with the (anticipated) victory of the New England Patriots in this year's Super Bowl, have been donated to children in Central America.  The Patriots were highly favored to win the Super Bowl, but lost to they New York Giants 17-14.  Hundreds of items of team gear are produced before the game so that players and fans can put them on immediately after the game in celebration.  All the Patriots gear were distributed to children in need in Nicaragua by World Vision, a Christian humanitarian organization.  Miriam Diaz, a spokesperson for the organization remarked- "The children are the winners."

Bad Luck for Bad Guy.  Twice

Bad Luck # 1: You back into another vehicle by accident.  When the police show up to write up the incident, they find that you are driving on a suspended license.  Bad Luck # 2: The police decide to search your trunk, and find more than $150 million dollars worth of marijuana in the car.  Rodell Cole, 72-years-old, was in a fender bender in New Carrolton Maryland, and ended up being charged, in addition to the suspended license infraction, possession with intent to distribute, narcotics trafficking, and kingpin charges.

Shocking!

Mexico City 'Policeman of the Year,' for 2005 and 2006 has been arrested on charges of extortion.  Alejandro Garnino is suspected of charging car-watchers up to 1000 pesos to operate outside of Mexico's largest stadiums.

If You've Got the Money...

A vanity plate with the singular character, the number '1' was recently auctioned off for $14 million in the super-wealthy United Arab Emirates.  The price outdid the previous record, also in the UAE, of $6.8 million for the plate with the number '5.'  Proceeds the vanity plate auctions in the country go to a rehabilitation center for victims of traffic accidents.

Something Fundamentally Wrong

A 16-year-old girl in Argentina has given birth to her second set of triplets.  The teenage girl has seven children in all.  The girl, identified as 'Pamela' by authorities, had her first child at 14, gave birth to her first set of triplets at 15, and the second triplets this month.  The reports of the young girls repeated pregnancies has given rise to contention and debate in Argentina.

Sneaky!

Know what this is?

It's a photo radar unit, used to snap pix of speeding cars, which then turn into speeding tickets sent to the violator.

Know where they put these contraptions? In plain looking curbside trash bins.

Pay attention.  That trash bin in front of your neighbor's house may be trouble.

5 Feb

Don't Run

A California man who was stopped for riding his bicycle at night without lights  was tasered by a sheriff's deputy when the man tried to flee.  Omar Herrada Rivera was stopped, subsequently chased and then tasered by a Glenn County sheriff's deputy after the deputy attempted to cite  him for improper equipment on his bike. Rivera was charged with resisting arrest, operating a bicycle without proper equipment, riding under the influence of alcohol.  And the use of false citizenship/government papers.

For Your Information

With the explosion in popularity of 'energy' drinks, and a seemingly endless tide of new products that are strictly designed as stimulants, for your heart's sake, you should be aware that:  The highest-caffeine-dosage drink in The Really Big Caffeine Database is Fixx, with 500 mg in the serving. However, the highest caffeine rating per ounce were Ammo and Redline Rush, with 171 and 141 mg/oz, respectively.  Even if you're tired, take it easy on your heart.

You Already Missed It, but Maybe Next Year

Sorry- you've already missed selection for this year's gala, but if you're single, and under 35, perhaps you'd like to apply for next year's event.  Be advised, the tag-line for this event is 'boy toy.'  If you're brave, read the news article.

Those Crazy Germans

If you were interested in taking an interesting holiday, a German travel firm is booking nudist day trips from that country to a resort on the Baltic Sea.  Travelers on the excursion will have to remain clothed until the flight doors are closed, but are then free to strip down.  All for only $735.  It is still unclear if the tourists will be permitted to leave the plane nude.

Triple-Dog Dare You

Two Indiana boys ended up with frozen tongues stuck to the metal after (attempting) to lick a frozen flagpole, to disprove the apparent results of a similar scene in the classic movie 'A Christmas Story.'

Luck

A man survived a 500 foot fall from the window-cleaning platform he was working from.  Alcides Moreno was cleaning the windows on a New York City skyscraper, when the suspension cables of the work platform he was standing on broke.  Moreno - acting quickly - grabbed the plank of the platform, and clung to it all the way to the ground.  An interesting article and the physics of the even here.

Treatment to Avoid

Russian patrons visiting a health resort were hospitalized after receiving enemas.  A nurse administering the treatments inadvertently used hydrogen peroxide instead of water in the therapy.  

Get Fired - or 'Retired' - and It's Easy Street

Once you hit the big-time as a CEO, even when you really, really screw up, no problem.  You don't get shown the door without a nice severance check.  Just a short list that I'm sure all of us wish we were on:

Michael Ovitz- 'stepped down' after two years as the Disney CEO.  Severance (for two years of work): $140 million.

Hank McKinnell- Pfizer shares fell 40% during his tenure.  Severance upon departure: $198 million.

Stanley O'Neal- Merrill Lynch, which had to take an $8 billion dollar write-down (in the 3rd quarter of 2007 alone) on accounting with O'Neal at the top spot in the huge investment firm.  When moved to 'retire,' compensation package: $165 million. 

Of note- there may be far, far more to pay.  The Corporate Library estimates that getting rid of the CEOs in the banking industry with the highest exposure and indemnity in subprime lending will cost $1 billion.

7 Jan

Did You Know?

Did you know that there is a Northern Illinois Painting & Drywall Institute (NiPDi).  Yes, there is.  And they just announced their scholarships for 25 fortunate recipients for 2008 (Article).  Just so you know.

Not Too Much of a Surprise

Two 22-year-old men from New Mexico were shot while tracing a loaded .357 as a stencil for a tattoo.  The gun went off, and one man was hit in the arm and the other shot in the hand. [What if the tattoo was going to be a hand-grenade?- Ed.]

Strangely Enough

In a survey done by BNET.COM, it was found that 64% of top executives in business feel that CEO compensation is excessive.  Subsequently, 77% of employees expressed the same sentiment.

Additionally, 50% of the CEOs said their leadership style was effective, but only 38% of employees agreed.

[Ed. Note- With all the talk about pay, and disparity in view between executives and employees, only half of the CEOs surveyed felt their leadership is effective.  This brings to mind- what exactly are the other 50% getting paid for, if they don’t think their own work is effective?]

Priceless Document

A copy of the Magna Carta – the blueprint for democracy in many countries of the Western world since the 13^th Century – was auctioned in December for $21.3 million. The copy sold was the last one held privately; one of 17 known in existence. The document had been on display in the National Archives since 1988, and was purchased by millionaire businessman David Rubenstein.  Rubenstein made the purchase to ensure that the historical document remained in the US, and on display at the Archives.

Imagine That

Two-thirds of the women, and half of the men questioned said they were ‘very’ or ‘extremely’ willing to marry for money.  A survey done by Prince & Associates, a wealth-research firm, found these figures in polling a middle-income survey group.

A strange corollary was found in the study: of the women in their twenties of the survey group who said they would marry for money, 71% of them said they expected to get divorced.

Wave Power

Pacific Gas & Energy, the nation’s largest utility, has made the first commercial agreement to purchase power generated by ocean waves.  A Canadian company, Finavera Renewables, signed the deal with PG&E to provide two megawatts of power [one megawatt powers about 750 homes- Ed.] from a project off the coast of California.  The initial project is small, but could serve as a model for renewable energy for the future.  An interesting promotional video on the Finavera technology can be found on the company’s website – www.finavera.com .