Tuesday 31 December 2013

Not Christmas PC!!

Ho No No! Offensive Christmas light display angers neighbours

Most Christmas messages are about happiness and joy, but not for one Louisiana woman.

Denham Springs resident Sarah Childs has directed an offensive light display at her neighbours for the second year running, putting up a Christmas light arrangement on her roof displaying two very festive extended middle-fingers.

The controversial display propelled Ms Childs into the media spotlight last year after the police threatened to arrest her, causing her to team up with the American Civil Liberties
Union of Louisiana to fight for her right to show the display.

She successfully sued the city and won the right to be able to continue with her festive message.

Now, much to the dismay of her angry neighbours, she has done it again. Ms Childs was inundated with furious calls from neighbours soon after she put up the display on Monday.

Shortly after, someone cut down the lights from her roof.

Ms Childs, who suspects it was a neighbour, told local media: ‘They went on my roof, cut them all up, cut everything up. They did the firing shot. It’s on.’

The middle-finger message is the result of a long-standing dispute between Ms Childs and a neighbour named Kayla Weldon.

Monday 30 December 2013

Don’t Publish??


US Writers and Journalists Censor Themselves

US spooks seem to be now self-censoring their copy in order to avoid upsetting the government. It turned out that the NSA programs are actually supported by half of Americans, even though many understand that their own personal data have been monitored.
Another research revealed that almost 25% of American writers have self-censored for fear of government surveillance. US hacks were curbing their research, declining certain assignments, even not discussing certain topics via the phone or e-mail, afraid of being targeted. Today it’s hard to find an American reporter willing to write about the Middle East, the military and terrorism.

Perhaps, they fear to end up on a no-fly list or be subjected to strip searches at airports. The researchers point out that Americans have long protested the persecution and constraints on journalists and writers working under repressive regimes abroad, but many seem to be ready to accept the new encroachments on their freedom in the USA.

When it happened so that the details have been released, journalists and intelligence specialists have argued that the evidence collected through surveillance could have been obtained in other ways, or just was not so crucial.

Nevertheless, American journalists who have always been a bit soft compared to the rest of the world, seem to have caved in completely. Remember New York Times writing about Apple while ignoring important news stories because Apple really needed its press release published?

Sunday 29 December 2013

French Farts


Student makes fortune selling fresh air

A French student has made thousands of pounds - from selling cans of fresh air.
Antoine Deblay decided to offer 250ml tins of air from his hometown of Montcuq in south-western France.
The 22-year-old first posted the idea on French crowdfunding website KissKissBankBank and was surprised to raise more than £670 investment in a few weeks.
After setting up a website and offering the "100% bio" product for sale at £4 plus £4.60 postage, the orders soon came rolling in and he received 1,000 orders in three weeks.
But non-French speakers may not quite get the humourous reason why the product is so popular.
In France, Montcuq is often mispronounced as "mon cul," which translates to English as "my backside".
This means that the product name of Air de Montcuq can be translated as "the air of my backside" making it a popular novelty gift.
M Deblay says: "Fresh air of Montcuq is 100% organic, it immerses you in the depths of the city to refresh your ideas. Ideal when you are in need of creative inspiration."
Anyone wanting to buy some Montcuq air should hurry as he is promising to sell only 10 litres a week - so as not to use up the local supply.

Saturday 28 December 2013

Caught In The Act!!


Husky gets caught stealing bones and treats from store

A crafty canine has been causing a bit of stir in one town after it is alleged to have gone on a shoplifting spree for treats.
Cato the husky casually strolled up the Dollar General store in Clinton, South Carolina, and entered the doors with other customers.
But little did the store owners know that the stealthy pooch had actually come to make off with pig ears, beef bones, dog food and treats.

Noticing that some goods were missing, store manager Anastasia Polson had a look over the CCTV and was surprised to see that the perpetrator was slightly more hirsute than she’d expected.
He was in and out – and then back in and out again – within a five-minute thieving period, and buried his treasures nearby.
‘We had to lock the door to keep him from coming back in,’ she told Fox Carolina.
Cato’s owner Holly Darden said police admitted it was their best arrest ever, while also denying that the dog is not fed.
‘Look at him, he’s fat. Yes! I feed him. There’s food in there. There’s treats in there,’ she said.
Police filed a mock report and the dog is now back at home. The store did not want to press charges.

Friday 27 December 2013

It Was No Helicopter!!


Man ‘swinging manhood in rotary helicopter motion at women’

A man who reportedly swung his penis about in a ‘rotary helicopter motion’ at two women has been arrested.
Shawn Harvell was detained in Indianapolis in the US after he apparently approached the women with a gun and his private parts exposed.
After allegedly grabbing one of the females from behind he is then said to have spun around his manhood and demanded she go with him.
The alleged victims managed to flag down a police car and the officer inside then proceeded to chase Harvell, who scarpered once he saw the authorities.
The officer eventually caught up with the 34-year-old and arrested him.
He now faces several charges, including public indecency and resisting law enforcement.
When asked what he was doing, Harvell said he was trying to solve a ‘financial dispute’ with one of the women but she denied they had ever met him.

Thursday 26 December 2013

Ebay = Censorship!!!


‘Homophobic’ eBay ad for car removed after bid of £500,000

An eBay listing for a 13-year-old Ford Fiesta that had been widely shared due to its colourful and controversial description has been removed from the auction site.
An anti-homophobia charity called it ‘offensive’ because the seller had used ‘homophobic’ terms within it.
Despite having 103,000 miles on the clock, the second-hand vehicle had rung up a price tag of at least half a million pounds – despite the listing having six days left.
In the advert, 21-year-old Jamie Rogers, from Chelmsford, Essex, said: ‘You can’t become a man until you’ve owned a proper lads car, so if you don’t buy this Zetec S you will always be spotty, your voice will never break properly and you will never beat your addiction to masturbation.’
He added: ‘If you’re a parent looking for a car on behalf of your son, this is the car for you. If you’re 35 years old still living at home and yet to be touched intimately by a woman, then this car is not for you, f****t.

Tuesday 24 December 2013

I’m Off!!


Reindeer escapes from Santa at Colorado mall
A runaway reindeer broke free from Santa Claus at a Colorado mall Thursday while the Big Man was inside visiting with children.
KYSL in Summit County reports ( http://bit.ly/19n7NKn ) that the reindeer escape happened outside the La Riva Mall in Dillon.
While Santa was inside listening to children's Christmas wish lists, the reindeer jumped over its enclosure, leading police officers on a healthy jog through town.
The reindeer was located on the other side of a nearby reservoir. The Summit County sheriff's office brought in another reindeer to lure the runaway and get it back into a trailer.

Monday 23 December 2013

Oh Shit!!


Council Snatched Pet Dogs As Owner Sat On The Toilet

“I WAS running and thought `oh my goodness’ I really need the toilet’,”said Patricia Abel, a 28-year-old out for a job on the Darwin foreshore. “I’ve been unwell and had a funny tummy, probably because of changing water, so I was quite desperate to get to a toilet and it could not wait until I got home. I’d jogged past the last public park toilet and it was a few hundred metres back, so rather than take Pepper all the way back with me I tied her to a bollard thinking she would be fine for a few minutes. I just thought I wouldn’t be able to make it in time if I had to drag Pepper all the way back to the toilet with me. By the time I got back she was gone.’
“I was in a panic. At first I thought I’d tied her on a different bollard, but after running up and down a few times I could not find her.”
Pepper had been taken by the Darwin Council dog catcher. It cost her $330 to get her dog out of the pound. She adds: ”I spoke to the dog catcher and she was a little apologetic when I explained my situation, but at the same time she said I should have taken Pepper into the toilet with me. I just thought `really, is that really the right thing to do? Obviously the dog is very well looked after, she is registered and microchipped, so I would have thought that their first course of action would have been to wait for a little while until the owner showed up. But instead they took her.”
Council general manager Community and Cultural Services John Banks said: “After waiting in excess of 15 minutes with the unaccompanied dog, our ranger acted in accordance with the City of Darwin By-laws. In this incidence Council has taken the extenuating circumstances into consideration and will not be pursuing the fine.”

Sunday 22 December 2013

A Real Bummer!

Man rings 999 after getting toilet roll holder stuck up his bottom

A man was forced to call the emergency services after a toilet roll holder got stuck up his bottom at his house in Newport, South Wales.

The unidentified man was reportedly unable to move and decided to dial 999 from his mobile phone.

Firemen then removed the object, with paramedics providing medical attention at the scene.

The Fire Brigades Union in Wales is quoted by the Mirror as saying: ”We do have to deal with wacky things.

‘Sometimes someone will tell you a story and you just think: “I can’t top that”.

‘To be honest, if I managed to get myself into one of these sorts of scrapes, the last thing I would want would be a whole crew of firefighters coming to see me.’

Saturday 21 December 2013

More Web Censorship??

UK Planning Another Censorship Attempt

James Brokenshire, the UK Crime and Security Minister, has announced his determination to save the United Kingdom from websites which aren’t “British” by censoring the web. Minister claimed the end of the free Internet in the United Kingdom by revealing his plans to order Internet service providers to block websites believed to be too dangerous for the people.

Minister explained he will also create a special department to identify and report material considered too dangerous for publication on the Internet. Brokenshire announced that the unit in question will be responsible for censoring a so-called “extremist content”, which perhaps follows the success off the model to crack on Internet child abuse. You have probably heard of the Internet Watch Foundation, partly industry-funded, which investigates reports of unauthorized child abuse pictures in the web. The outfit can ask ISPs to block or take down websites containing such images. As a result, there’s no child porn in the UK Internet now thanks to this measure.

Minister pointed out that Prime Minister, David Cameron, wanted to see a similar model for terrorist material. Despite numerous “freedom of speech issues”, the government believes it can have a process in place to test what is against the law.

In the meantime, ISPs’ good appeal process might overcome some of the public’s concerns. Apparently, if the government decides to block Welsh or Scottish Nationalist websites, it will have to explain to a judge why they are deemed “extremist”. This might make sense. However, less clear would be websites organizing such things as student protests.

Friday 20 December 2013

He’s Behind You!!

Curtain falls on traditional panto - oh yes it does!

Experts warn that many features of the traditional pantomime are in decline

It is one of the most cherished of Christmas rituals – with much of the pleasure of a trip to the pantomime derived from knowing exactly what you are going to get.

But for some of the most familiar elements of the traditional festive shows, it seems that their days could literally be behind them.

An analysis of this year’s productions suggests that the curtain is falling on many of the long-established features which have characterised the genre, with many abandoning the practice of casting an actress in the leading “male” role, and - perhaps worst of all - even doing away with the dame.

Many of the vanishing traditions are identified in new history of the genre, while others are indicated by an analysis of the National Database of Panto Performance, established this winter by enthusiasts.

The database shows only around a tenth of the 251 professional shows listed for the current panto season have female “principal boys” – known as the “breeches part” – a far lower proportion than in previous years.

It also suggests a growth in dame-less pantos this year, as producers opt for storylines, such as Snow White – the fourth most popular this year, 24 productions – which do not feature one.

Experts have suggested that the trend may be because younger audiences who have grown up with an acceptance of gay relationships do not understand the comic element of cross-dressing.

Maureen Hughes, a performing arts teacher and musical director, who wrote the new history of pantomime, said: “I think it is quite sad. There is also a lot of political correctness now that you didn’t have in the old days. Having fewer women dressed as men might be a reflection of that. You go to the panto knowing what you are going to get. But some traditions are slipping a bit.”

She also warns that some pantos themselves – in particular Mother Goose, first performed in 1806, and Puss in Boots, first performed in 1817 – are becoming increasingly rare.

She believes the two are no longer considered sufficiently “glamorous” to be staged, while Mother Goose is often thought “too difficult”. The play is known as the “Hamlet of panto”, for the challenging nature of the central character – not least the demands of the heavy, feathered costume.

Instead, a number of newer stage plays, such as Peter Pan and combinations of Robin Hood, and Babes in the Wood – which are not considered traditional pantos by aficionados – are taking their place.

The database adds weight to the decline. There are only two productions of Puss in Boots, in Hackney and Greenwich, and only one of Mother Goose, which has runs in Clitheroe and Lytham St Anne’s, Lancashire. By contrast, there are 15 of Peter Pan and eight of Robin Hood or Babes in the Wood, as well as 13 of Beauty and the Beast.

The tradition of a woman playing the part of the “principal boy” dates back to the early nineteenth century with Eliza Povey played the title role in the first Jack and the Beanstalk, at Drury

Lane in 1819. By the 1880s, the hero role was always played by a woman, although there were later periods where men – among them Cliff Richard and Norman Wisdom – played the parts.

The more recent trend away from women in the male roles has been put down to political correctness, as well as greater knowledge among children about homosexual relationships.

It has been suggested this makes them less inclined to accept the romantic relationship between the leading lady and the principal boy, if the latter is also a woman, because they may mistakenly think the couple are meant to be gay.

The dame emerged during the same period, built on a longer standing tradition of men playing female characters, which dated back to a time when it was considered in appropriate to appear on stage. Other changes have seen a decline in the “song sheet”, which is dropped onto the stage from the rafters, in favour of electronic versions. Some productions have even ended the practice of bringing children on stage for a sing-song.

Aerial displays, which are considered less spectacular for modern audiences raised on special effects, and specialist “skin parts” – where actors perform as animals – are also a thing of the past.

The practice of ending the performance with a series of rhyming couplets – traditionally spoken for the first time on opening night – is also decreasing.

The new book, A History of Pantomime, chronicles the genre from its roots in a form of slapstick theatre developed by travelling Italian actors, which arrived in Britain, via France, in the seventeenth century.

Over the course of the next two centuries, it gradually evolved in the format with which we are still familiar, and by the middle of the nineteenth century it had become associated with Christmas.

By then, too, most of the canon had been established. Aladdin – still considered, like Shakespeare’s Macbeth, to be an “unlucky play” for performers – was the earliest recorded, with a version in 1788, although the first full panto format was not until 1861, at the Strand Theatre. Others then emerged in the early nineteenth century: Cinderella (1804, Theatre Royal, Drury Lane), Sleeping Beauty (1806, Drury Lane), Mother Goose (1806), Dick Whittington (1814), Puss in Boots (1817, in Covent Garden), and Jack and the Beanstalk (1819 at Drury Lane).

The exception is Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, which only appeared as panto after the release of Walt Disney’s 1934 film version. Because the company still have copyright on some aspects, the dwarves in panto versions go by different names.

Simon Sladen, a curator at the Victoria and Albert Museum and pantomime editor for The British Theatre Guide, who has set up the new database, said: “There has never been a set format for panto and the traditions are always changing and will continue to do so.”

Thursday 19 December 2013

Norwich = Party Poopers!!

Norwich drinkers face breath tests

Pub doormen in Norwich are to conduct breath tests on punters before deciding whether to let them in.

Thirty bars and clubs in the city are taking part in a month's trial to help revellers gain "better knowledge" about their boozing.

Police have told Norwich's licence holders they are "expected to be responsible" about who they let in, but no actual alcohol limit has been introduced.

Venues taking part will bear the slogan: "Are you trollied? #DeepBreath".

Insp Ed Brown of Norfolk Police said: "These kits will allow door staff to better gauge how much alcohol someone has had and in turn help them refuse entry to someone who is too drunk.

Wednesday 18 December 2013

A French Solution??

Raging tenant armed with a sledgehammer destroys apartment after landlord refused to give back his $2,500 security deposit

One irate Frenchman who was furious that his deposit was being withheld decided to take a sledgehammer to his apartment in order to express his fury.

Raging at his $2,500 security being kept, the unidentified tenant smashes his bathroom mirror, toilet, shower cubicle and door.

Explaining his actions to a helpful friend who recorded the entire incident, presumably for his landlords benefit, the angry man proceeds to batter the living daylights out of his soon to be vacate apartment.

Tuesday 17 December 2013

A Good Imagination?

Cereal fan snaps ghostly face in bowl of Cheerios

A cereal fan didn’t need a coffee to wake her up in the morning after she spotted a ghostly figure in her bowl of Cheerios.

The breakfast eater was tucking into her daily dose of corn, oats and rice when she saw the blank-faced cheerio looking back at her.

Clearly not something she was used to seeing everyday, the Cheerios fan decided to take a picture of her amusing discovery to share with the world online.

‘The day my breakfast tried to eat my soul,’ she explained. ‘I ate it out of fear that if I didn’t it may rise up and destroy the earth.’

After numerous stories detailing the distress of people who find weird objects in their supermarket meals, before posing unhappily next to them, it’s refreshing to see a funnier side to snapping food.

Monday 16 December 2013

Crazy Pussies?

Cats suffering from 'Tom and Jerry' syndrome

Vets warn of a new phenomenon whereby cats suffer seizures triggered by everyday sounds around the house, like the clicking of a computer mouse or the tapping of a boiled egg

If you ever irritated by the sound of your spouse crinkling a packet of crisps, or rustling with a newspaper, then spare a thought for your cat.

Vets are investigating an apparently new phenomenon whereby pet cats are suffering seizures triggered by everyday sounds around the house.

As well as the sounds of newspapers and crisps packets, the animals have also been observed having the reaction to the clicking of a computer mouse, the tapping of a boiled egg and even the sound of a tin of cat food being opened.

The bizarre phenomenon - likened to the cartoon Tom and Jerry - has also been triggered by the popping of pills from blister packs, the dropping of metal items on tiled floors or ceramic bowls and the hammering of nails, as well as the sounds of owners slapping their foreheads or clicking their tongues.

The new research began after International Cat Care (ICC), a feline charity, began receiving reports from owners across the country reporting the strange behaviour in their pets.

The seizures in cats do not appear to be related to volume, because many of the “trigger sounds” are relatively quiet. The noises do not appear to be particularly unexpected, either, as most are relatively familiar, such as the noise of food being opened.

Mark Lowrie, from Davies Veterinary Specialists, said: “We want to see if other vets and owners are aware of the problem. It could be they haven’t even associated these fits with noise. I’m sure that a pattern will emerge. It doesn’t seem to be occurring at times of stress. It is often when the cats are being fed – which is probably one of their happier times of the day.”

The reactions suffered by the animals are described as being similar to a fit, with the cats displaying a jerking motion. Others have less severe reactions, from being jumpy to freezing suddenly. They all recover, once the noise has stopped and the seizure ceased.

One owner reported their cat, Moochi, had seizures caused by repetitious clicking or tapping sounds, which caused him to convulse and lose control of his balance.

Another animal, Jeffrey, has fits of around a minute in length, caused by mouse clicks and the tapping of boiled eggs. Gracie suffered a similar reaction to the sound of a newspaper, which caused her to run in circles and collide with furniture. After that, she convulses.

Claire Bessant, chief executive of International Cat Care, said: “It is hard not to smile, because it does all sound rather Tom and Jerry, but it would be very nice to get to the bottom of it. People seem to be getting around it, by making sure they tip toe around their animals and try to avoid making the noise.”

Sunday 15 December 2013

We’re Watching You!

LG Smart TVs Collect Your Personal Info

It recently turned out that LG Smart TV was displaying adverts on the Smart landing screen. LG even has some corporate video to advertise their information collection practices to potential advertisers. The company explains that LG Smart Ad can analyze what people like watching, what they do online, and collect search keywords and other data that can help offer relevant adverts to target audiences. In addition, the company offered ad performance reports to demonstrate actual advertising effectiveness.

So, how do they do this? There appeared to be an option in the system settings named “Collection of watching info”, which is turned on by default. To find it, the users have to scroll down. Moreover, this setting, unlike others, has no “balloon help” to explain what it is for.

If you do some traffic analysis to find out what was being sent from your TV, you will learn that viewing data is being sent regardless of whether the setting is turned on or off. Apparently, the system transmits a channel name and a unique device ID. This data is sent back unencrypted and in the clear to the company each time you change channel – even if you switched the setting “Collection of watching info” off.

This is not all. You can find that within the packet data dumps there are filenames being posted to LG’s servers – the ones stored on your external USB hard drive. It is easy to check – once you create a mock file with unique filename and copy it to your USB stick, you’ll see it transmitted. It is unclear how the system filters the data – sometimes the names of the contents of an entire folder are posted, other times nothing is sent.

By the way, the URL that the information is being sent to doesn’t even exist, as the destination brings the HTTP 404 response from LG’s server. However, this collection URL could as well be implemented by the company on its server tomorrow, and allow to transparently collect detailed data on what content you have stored. The aim is clear – this feature would allow to infer the presence of adult material or files downloaded from file-sharing networks.

When contacted, LG claimed that since its customers accepted the Terms and Conditions on their devices, their concerns would be best directed to the retailer, while LG is unable to pass comment on their actions. So, the company can’t help, but you should prevent this from happening, as you own your router and have absolute jurisdiction of any traffic you allow to pass. The only way to do this is to block the list of Internet domains to stop spying and advertising on TVs. So far the list is the following:

ibis.lgappstv.com

ad.lgappstv.com

smartclip.net

smartclip.com

yumenetworks.com

smartshare.lgtvsdp.com

This move can help you stop seeing adverts plastered on your screen and having your viewing behavior monitored. The most important part is that you will still be able to update firmware.

Saturday 14 December 2013

Vatican = Pirates??

Vatican Faced Problem with Pirates

It recently became known that Vatican, one of the few theocratic states ever created by a fascist regime, faced a pirate problem. Back in 2012, the release of the videogame Football Manager had code inside which would let the Sega developers track the IP of everyone who pirated a copy of the game.

So, the experiment showed that over 10 million copies were distributed illegally. As usual, the most pirated areas were China, Turkey and Portugal. In addition, the developers managed to trace one pirated copy inside the Vatican. In other words, the state with a population of 839 is statistically likely to have at least one pirate in its ranks. In comparison, the game was pirated by 540,000 Italians, with Italy having a population of 61.321 million – as you can see, one pirate in the Vatican isn’t that much higher on the ratio scale.

However, the consequences differ. While in Italy the worst that a pirate can expect is for the entertainment industry to sue them, in the Vatican they can expect excommunication and eternal damnation. The industry experts point out that this is just another proof that stiff sentences for piracy don’t work in real life.

This case had some pabulum for reflection: conspiracy theorists pointed out that the videogame was downloaded in the same year that Pope Benedict suddenly cleared out his desk and moved to Castle Gandolfo to spend time “in seclusion and prayer”.

In the meantime, Football Manager boss Miles Jacobson claimed that one pirated copy didn’t equal one sale lost – instead, he believes it added up to 176,000 lost sales ($3.7 million lost revenue).

Thursday 12 December 2013

Woodworm??

Man makes VW Beetle - out of wood

A retired Volkswagen worker has carved himself a unique VW Beetle - out of wood.

Momir Bojic made everything from the bonnet to the gearstick in his garden workshop - with help from understanding wife Nada.

The couple created wooden pedals, wheel caps, bumpers, signal lamps, tail-lights, wipers, door mirrors, steering wheel, parcel shelf, dashboard, clock and even the radio aerial.

The bodywork features thousands of thumbnail-sized, finely sliced sections of oak designed to replicate the wooden-tiled roofs of Mr Bojic's homeland of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Each tile involved a process involving no less than 23 separate procedures, including cutting, chamfering, bevelling, drilling and smoothing, before they could be applied to the vehicle.

Mr Bojic, who worked at a Volkswagen Transporter manufacturing plant in Hanover, spotted the 1975 Beetle for sale at a fair and got a metalwork company to take off the roof, doors and strip the chassis.

He said: "I told my wife Nada that I was none too sure exactly what I was going to do with this addition to the household, but whatever decision I came to it would be something original and worthwhile."

The painstaking task to transform the VW took 18 months, with the determined couple working morning, noon and night in order to get it finished.

Mr Bojic, who is in his 60s, said: "I was intending to undertake the task by myself, but after my wife saw the amount of effort involved she felt I was crazy to try and do it all on my own."

And he is already planning his next project, adding: "I've an idea in mind; something along the lines of a sporty looking car with dual rocket-style pods and, of course, trimmed throughout with thousands of pieces of wood

Wednesday 11 December 2013

Whoops!!

Giant plane gets stuck at tiny airport

One of the world's biggest cargo planes is stuck after accidentally landing at a tiny airport with a runway too short for it to take off again.

The Boeing 747 Dreamlifter was heading for McConnell air force base in Wichita but instead touched down at nearby Colonel James Jabara airport.

Local media reported that the jet may be too large to take off from Jabara's 1,860m (6,100ft) runway.

The Dreamlifter normally requires a runway of 2,780m (9,119ft) to take off at maximum weight, reports the BBC.

Boeing sent a tug to the airport to turn the plane around but it broke down en route and it is not clear how the plane will leave Jabara airport.

The Dreamlifter is a modified 747-400 passenger aeroplane which can carry more cargo by volume than any aeroplane in the world.

Boeing uses them to transport large assembled aeroplane components from suppliers around the world to the final assembly location.

Tuesday 10 December 2013

Cute!!

Meet Remi, the world’s saddest dog

When your dog looks this bummed about you going out, it’s got to be pretty hard to ever leave the house.

The pup has a look that suggests his high school football team just lost the big game, he has just learnt magic isn’t real and that there are a bunch of cats frolicking nearby woefully un-chased all in one.

Nothing’s wrong with the little guy, he’s just sad about his owner nipping out, shunning his toys and even the crumbs of his biscuits as he gives the most mournful yet cute expression.

If Remi is the world’s saddest dog, a dog that popped up on YouTube earlier this week has got to be the most polite.

The pooch is seen carefully wiping his feet before entering the house in a video, showing a rather charming respect for his owner’s carpets

Monday 9 December 2013

Seconded Time Lucky??

Student auctions off her virginity – again

A Brazilian student who last year sold her virginity in an online auction is to try to sell it again.

Catarina Migliorini was offered more than £200,000 for her virginity by a Japanese millionaire in a controversial online auction.

But she says that deal was never consummated, and is now attempting to do it again through her own website, VirginsWanted2.com.

On the website, which describes her as the "most famous virgin of the 21st century", she says the original deal fell through after she took legal advice.

"Well, I am still a virgin in every way and all the evidence, so, I never have had any sexual involvement and no one in this whole world can claim otherwise," she said.

"So I decided to make my own website to auction off my virginity and that time will be for real, so men or women who are interested can make their bids."

Miss Migliorini says she will not sell her virginity for less than the equivalent of £60,000 in the auction, which ends on 12 December, and her goal is around £1million.

Her original auction was part of a proposed documentary called Virgins Wanted being made by Australian filmmaker Justin Sisely.

The controversial 'sale' had scores of crtiics but made Miss Migliorini a celebrity and Playboy cover girl in her native country.

Sunday 8 December 2013

Milkman??

Cows fall through roof into artist’s workshop

An artist in Cornwall had some unexpected guests drop in when two cows fell through the roof of her workshop.

Sue Marshall, 77, said she heard an ‘almighty crash’ while vacuuming her converted barn property in Lamorna, near Penzance.

The shocked professional weaver went to investigate and found a cow stood in the middle of the room surrounded by a flattened table and chairs.

Minutes later, another cow joined the party after the pair had climbed on to the sloped roof from a neighbouring farmer’s field.

‘I assumed that a tree had come down,’ explained Ms Marshall.

‘I was astonished to find that a cow had fallen through the roof of the workshop, narrowly missing my loom and leaving a huge hole in the roof.

‘No sooner had I let the startled animal out than another one fell through another part of the roof.

‘Both cows narrowly missed the loom, which was incredibly fortunate, and neither was injured. I was in absolute shock.’

The two cows caused thousands of pounds worth of damage, which Ms Marshall was able to claim against the farmer’s insurance.

Alan Goddard, managing director of insurers Cornish Mutual, said: ‘This very unusual case really does highlight the importance of keeping boundary fences in good condition.

‘Fortunately no one was physically harmed and neither of the cows suffered any injuries.’

Saturday 7 December 2013

A Good Excuse??

11 Pounds of Marijuana Mistakenly Delivered to Florida Keys Couple

A Key Largo couple was mistakenly shipped 11 pounds of marijuana at a rental home in Louisiana, but the two didn't realize what was in the package until they arrived back home in the Florida Keys, the Monroe County Sheriff's Office said.

The husband told Monroe deputies the box was first shipped to their home in Louisiana back in July, but he instructed his cleaning lady to return it to UPS, authorities said. The package was sent back to the rental home once more, and this time the cleaning lady put it inside while the couple was away.

The couple then took a trip to check on several rental properties and found the box was still at the home in Louisiana, officials said. When they opened it, they found two locked blue suitcases. Thinking it was lost luggage, they put the suitcases in the back of the truck and decided to deal with it when they got back to the Keys, authorities said.

When they got home, they cut the locks off the suitcases and found two sealed bags full of marijuana inside that weighed a total of 11 pounds, deputies said.

The couple called the Sheriff's Office and turned in the marijuana, which will be destroyed.

Deputies said the couple could have been arrested if their truck had been pulled over while transporting the marijuana.

Thursday 5 December 2013

Dickhead!!

Fear for house prices as 'estate resembles giant penis' when viewed from above

The row over the street comes days after it emerged that the design for Qatar's 2022 World Cup stadium can be said to resemble a vagina

People living on a UK street fear house prices could suffer after Google Earth images showed their estate resembles a giant penis.

Locals on George Road, Edward Road, and Yeoman Cottages in Hoylake, Wirral, fear potential house-hunters wouldn't want to buy a property in the phallic-shaped area.

When viewed from above, the red roofs on the homes – which have an average £200,000 price tag – make the cul-de-sac look like a penis.

Resident Carl Hodge, 45, said: "Since someone spotted this on Google Earth we have all become a laughing stock.

"You can't argue because it really does look just like a man's c*ck and balls.

"I haven't heard of anyone moving out because of it but we are definitely worried it would put of potential buyers if we ever wanted to sell.

"Who would want to live in the cul-de-sac that everyone is taking the mick out of.

"They say Google Earth is fascinating and people spend hours on it but it has been a nightmare for us.

"I think Google should remove the street from the internet. It might be funny but it's no laughing matter if you're trying to sell your house."

Another Hoylake resident who lives nearby added: "It is so funny, everyone knows it as the c*ck and balls road.

"I live close but thankfully I'm not on the road itself.

"I'd definitely move out if I lived there and everyone was laughing at me."

George Road is made up of a mixture of privately-owned semi-detached houses and ex-council owned terraced properties.

The houses were erected in the 1950s and 60s but their rude shape was only revealed when locals checked the latest Google satellite images.

The row over the street comes days after it emerged the design for Qatar's 2022 World Cup stadium can be said to resemble a vagina.

The proposed 40,000-seater Al-Wakrah stadium is meant to resemble the sails of a dhow boat which is traditionally used for pearl fishing.

However, hundreds of people took to Twitter to point out the embarrassing mistake

Monday 2 December 2013

Now Here’s A Thought?

European Parliament Might Decriminalize File-Sharing

A number of MEPs have recently decided to urge the European Commission to update its copyright policy. It seems that they are calling for a more flexible copyright system that could benefits EU citizens and businesses. The main part of the system is the decriminalization of file-sharing for personal use.

Actually, the European Copyright Directive started more than ten years ago, but at the time the worldwide web looked entirely different and this is why lawmakers understand that reforms are needed now to update the law.

Back in 2012, several MEPs sent a letter to the President of the European Commission and asked to take up this issue. However, thus far the Commission hasn’t followed this up, and the MEPs had to take more concrete action themselves. They decided to host an event in order to highlight the lack of progress and the need for change. The hostess and Pirate Party MEP explained that the current copyright law is very outdated, as it restricts users’ ability to enjoy and share culture. Indeed, the current directive has created a horrible licensing nightmare that nobody can penetrate. File-sharers, DJs, libraries, schools and others who make use of culture live in a constant state of uncertainty today.

So, decriminalization of file-sharing is one of the issues on the agenda, and it directly affects over hundred million European citizens. It is clear that it will also facilitate the development of new business models. But this is not all. The MEPs want to make information in general more readily available across countries, without complex copyright limitations and restrictions. They believe it will enable “better access to culture for libraries, online archives, research, visually impaired people and educators”.

The above mentioned event has been setup to encourage a more coordinated effort among MEPs of various parties to push for the copyright reform. Perhaps, there will be collaboration between like-minded members of Parliament who keep the interests of the European public at heart. As you know, starting 2013, the EU will have a new Parliament and a new Commission, so it’s a good idea to coordinate early how to ensure the better legal certainty. The MEPs point out that it is very important to “build common and shared platforms of cultural exchange and dialogue”. Hopefully, the number of the supporters of this idea will be more than three.

Sunday 1 December 2013

What A Pong!!

Kennel No. 5 and Old Spike: Dogs sniff out new scents

Dog owners are increasingly splashing their pets in specialist perfumes, with names such as Duke and Old Spike

Traditionally, it has been the Christmas gift of last resort, offered by those at a loss for more imaginative ideas.

But it will not only be wives and teenage nephews with perfume and cologne wrapped up beneath the tree this year: many of the nation’s dogs will also have that fate awaiting them.

Several ranges of dog fragrances are on sale to cash in on the Christmas market, with products which – like the human versions – come complete with baffling names and promotional campaigns.

One pet accessory firm, Butch and Bess has unveiled a new range of “his and hers” “Eau de Dog”.

The “for him” grooming spray is perfumed by cedarwood, basil and vetiver essential oils. The “for her” version features jasmine, mandarin and ylang.

The “natural spritz fragrances” – which cost £10 for 250ml bottles – also include aloe vera juice, oat kernel extract and argan oil, and the company says they have a PH balance which “simply promotes a naturally healthy skin and coat”.

The “Santa Paws” fragrances are to be officially launched at a vet show at London’s Olympia next weekend, alongside five other varieties, without the overt festive theme, including: “Bess”, “The Perfect Calm”, “Maybe BebĂ©”, “Butch Leather” and “Stinker Belle”.

Rival products include those from the VIP (Very Important Pet) range, by fragrance firm Scent Perfique, with products such as “Foxy Lady”, and “Pet Cologne For Him”, while another, from Bonnie Dogs, features sprays called “Finishing Touch” and “Duke”.