Woman racks up $1M in Purchases on AMEX card, then sues AMEX for giving her the card. Irresponsibility ROCKS!!!
Stop me before I shop again! Pretend princess Antoinette Millard is showing some real gall: She’s suing American Express for $2 million for allowing her to go on a nearly $1 million shopping spree she couldn’t afford at some of the city’s priciest stores. Millard, who’s currently awaiting trial for insurance fraud, says she was “induced” into dropping more than $950,000 at stores such as Cartier, Chatila and Barneys when the company offered her its prestigious “black card,” the virtually no-limit Centurion Card. The celebrity-set status symbol is only offered to customers who charge more than $150,000 a year and carries a $2,500 annual fee. In papers filed in Manhattan Supreme Court, Millard maintains AmEx “improperly solicited [her] for the Centurion Card although the [company] knew or should have known that [Millard] did not qualify for the Centurion Card.” Not being able to afford the card didn’t stop Millard, 40, from going on a months-long spending spree, snapping up jewelry and other baubles at a pace that quickly became frenzied. In May 2003, she spent $27,900 at Cellini, and then spent more than $1,000 at Bulgari just two days later. But by December, that was chump change. On Dec. 1, she spent $19,000 at Cartier, and then $150,000 at Kaufmann de Suisse. The next day, she dropped $53,378.33 at Barneys, and on Dec. 3, she spent $42,000 at Chatila and $24,169.06 at J. Mendel Furriers. The next day, she went back to the high-end Chatila jewelry store – and spent another $73,000. In court papers, Millard says she shouldn’t have to pay any of those charges because she was overcome by shopping fever. “When [Millard] entered into the contracts . . . she was acting impulsively and irrationally to such an extent as to make her mentally incompetent and irresponsible for her actions,” says her filing, which responds to a suit by AmEx aimed at collecting the $950,000. Millard’s filing says she “was suffering from anorexia, depression, panic attacks, [and] head tumors,” and the credit-card giant “knew or should have known that [she] was acting impulsively and irrationally.” That argument hasn’t moved American Express, which got a court order this week to freeze her assets. The company said the move was necessary because she’d tried to sell off and exchange some of her jewelry, which might technically belong to AmEx now. The judge presiding over the case, Barbara Kapnick, is allowing Millard to hold on to one piece of jewelry, a blue sapphire wedding ring. Millard and jewelry are apparently a bad mix. She’s currently out on $100,000 bail for allegedly trying to bilk an insurance company out of $262,000 by claiming a mugger had stolen her family jewels. Prosecutors charge there was no mugging, and Millard had sold more than half the 23 pieces she claimed were stolen. By the time of her arrest, Millard had made a splash on the social scene as “Princess Antoinette,” a tiara-wearing member of the Saudi royal family and a former Victoria’s Secret model. But prosecutors discovered Millard’s claim was a fairy tale, and that she was really a divorcée from Buffalo who worked at a Wall Street firm. She’s due back in court on her criminal case next month.
Weed on Sale at Target. Look for Crack Pipes in next week’s circular.
Original Link to target.com This may have been “fixed” already.
Antigua beats US in WTO Court. Banning off-shore Internet Gambling is considered an unfair trade barrier.
Antigua beats long odds on Internet gambling challenge by US
WASHINGTON (AFP) – Antigua and Barbuda beat long odds Wednesday as the World Trade Organisation confirmed a ruling that a ban in the United States on Internet gambling violates global trading rules. The Geneva-based WTO, in a report released Wednesday, held that the US ban on web gambling is effectively an unfair trade barrier that hurts the gaming industry of the tiny two-island Caribbean nation. US prohibitions on Internet gambling “are inconsistent with US obligations” under the 1995 General Agreement on Tariffs and Services, the WTO panel wrote in Geneva, affirming an interim decision in March. In a statement, Antigua welcomed the decision and called it “reminiscent of the story of David and Goliath.” But Richard Mills of the office of the US Trade Representative called the decision “deeply flawed.” “We will vigorously appeal this deeply flawed report to the WTO Appellate Body and remain confident in the basis for reversing this panel report,” he said. A senior US trade official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that if the US appeal fails, Washington may simply revise its commitment under the GATS agreement to exclude gambling. “The parties do retain rights to make changes under GATS,” the official said. The WTO panel ruling acknowledged that Washington may have intended to exclude gambling from the treaty but that Internet gambling is covered under the services agreement of global trade agreements. “We have, therefore, some sympathy with the United States’ point in this regard,” the WTO panel wrote. “However, the scope of a specific commitment cannot depend upon what a member intended or did not intend to do at the time of the negotiations.” A patchwork of regulations in US states regulate gambling, while federal laws ban any form of “interstate” betting. US Justice Department officials contend that any Internet gambling is illegal, but prosecution has been spotty. Washington also maintained that GATS allows each member country latitude in regulating “public morals.” But the WTO wrote that the arguments from Washington carry less weight because of the wide variety of gambling options that are legal in the United States. Antigua had claimed it lost more than US$90 million and 4,000 jobs because of the US ban. “The United States has taken an aggressive approach to betting services based overseas,” the government said in a statement. “However, the US government raises significant revenue from betting services within its own borders and the Interactive Gaming Council (trade group) suggests the United States is home to at least half the worldwide online gaming market.” “The US says it wants open competition,” said Ronald Sanders, Antigua’s former WTO ambassador. “But it only wants free trade when it suits the US.”
Happy Thanksgiving. Now, Use Your Utensils Or I’ll Cut Ya!
WORCESTER, Mass. – A man was charged with stabbing two relatives after they criticized his table manners during Thanksgiving dinner, officials said yesterday. Police said the fight broke out Thursday when Gonzalo Ocasio, 49, and his 18-year- old son, Gonzalo Jr., reprimanded Frank Palacious for picking at the turkey with his fingers. Palacious, 24, described by police only as an uncle, allegedly responded by stabbing them with a carving knife. Police said Ocasio Jr. suffered stab wounds to the chest, back and right side. His father was treated for a stab wound in his arm. AP
TSA Screeners Going Too Far (Like 3rd Base)?
Passengers complain about pat-down searches at airports
Shocked by what she perceived as far too intimate a security check, Melanie Higley burst into tears. First, the wand was placed too aggressively between her legs, then the airport screener at Dallas-Fort Worth International groped her, she said. Hysterical, she protested that she was being abused. The screener’s response: She was just doing her job. Higley was then ordered to take off her tennis shoes, which she did — and threw them at the screener. “I was sweating, I was crying, I was a mess,” said Higley, of Jupiter, who was heading to Palm Beach International with her family that September day. “I’ve never been touched like that before by another woman.” Scores of women, and some men, say they have suffered similar humiliation during a pat-down, standard procedure since Sept. 22 in secondary screenings at airport checkpoints. Many protest that it is an unnecessary invasion of privacy, the security process going too far. (Show/Hide Rest Of Article)
Orenthal is still giving the Heisman to the Goldmans.
Family Goes After Settlement Money Owed By O.J. Simpson Nine Years After a Civil Suit, Judgment Remains Unpaid
LOS ANGELES — A Santa Monica judge Tuesday ordered a friend of O.J. Simpson to turn over two press passes from 1984 Olympics that belonged to the football Hall of Famer. The passes are to be handed over to the Sheriff’s Department by Dec. 14, and presumably whatever value they have will be applied to the $33.5 million judgment against Simpson, who was found liable by a civil jury for the deaths of his ex-wife, Nicole, and Ron Goldman. Simpson was acquitted in a criminal case of double-murder. Tuesday’s hearing stems from the lawsuit filed by Ron Goldman’s father, Fred Goldman, against Simpson. Nine years after a civil jury awarded the family damages, virtually all of the judgment remains unpaid. Alfred Beardsley, a friend of Simpson’s who recently planned but canceled an autograph session for fans and collectors, met with attorneys and a judge behind closed doors for about 30 minutes Tuesday.
Want a Mulligan on that Ashlee Simpson CD Purchase? Here’s Your Chance!
Ashlee Simpson’s Fans Can Trade In CD
NEW YORK – Given that it’s been blown wide open that Ashlee Simpson lip-synchs, a New York group is offering her fans the chance to try what they feel is “real” music. HOPE, or Horrified Observers of Pedestrian Entertainment, is giving people who bought Simpson’s album the chance to turn it in for what it calls “one of a higher entertainment quality.” Fans who bring the disc to New York’s Knitting Factory can trade it in for one by Elvis Costello, The Ramones, X, Jimmy Page and Robert Plant, Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, The Grateful Dead, Joni Mitchell or Brian Wilson. The 19-year-old singer was busted for a “Saturday Night Live” lip-synch gone awry, with her manager-father saying that his daughter used the extra help because acid reflux disease had made her voice hoarse. Joe Simpson added that she’s never used the extra help before. If you’re not in New York, you can still get in on the deal by checking out www.HopeInAmerica.com
It’s Da Stuntaz, Fool
News of the Wierd
Thieves undone by parrot
Three thieves were undone when they returned to the scene of their alleged crime – to silence a parrot. The trio allegedly stole DVD players, computers, radios, televisions and other electronic items from a house in Memphis, Tennessee. However, one of the three realised that a parrot in the house had heard him using the nickname “JJ” for one of his accomplices – and had started repeating it.
Robbers tried to kick down sliding door
Three would-be robbers tried to kick down the door of a restaurant – not realising it was an unlocked sliding door. Police say 20 bemused customers were eating in the restaurant, at Gerringong in New South Wales, Australia, at the time. Acting Senior Sergeant John Klepzcarek said one of the men, who had hoods over their faces, tried to push the door open first. “Because it wouldn’t open, he started kicking it. One of the other men tried to push the sliding door and after a number of attempts all three men have run off,” he told ABC News.
Ship crashed into house
A Croatian man who settled down to watch an action movie was almost killed when a runaway ship crashed through the wall. Egon Selestrin, 23, couldn’t believe his eyes when the 200- foot ship ploughed into the front of his parents’ house. The Dino was coming in to dock at the fishing village of Kukljica, on the Adriatic island of Ugljan, when the captain mistakenly put the ship into full speed ahead instead of slowing it down. It crashed through the port, the beach and into the front of the Selestrin family’s house, Croatian TV reported. Mr Selestrin, who had just settled down on the sofa said he did not waste any time when the ship burst through the wall, and managed to run out of the living room just before the house collapsed. He said: “I was in the front room and I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw the wall collapse and a ship’s prow come bursting through. I managed to run away at the very last moment.”
Hindus riot after saint fails to die
Followers of a Hindu saint rioted in eastern India after he failed to die at the anointed time. More than 15,000 people turned up at the Sriguru Ashram at Kharagaon in Orissa to see the priest ‘ascend to heaven’ between 6am and noon. He hade declared a few days ago that he would attain ‘ichha mrityu’ or death by his own will, reports the Asian Age which did not name the priest. A huge police contingent was deployed in the area by the district authorities to control the crowds. The saint is said to have performed religious rituals at the break of dawn before sitting down to meditate. When the meditation and prayer session continued beyond the scheduled time and the guru was discovered still alive the onlookers began to hurl abuse at him and later turned violent. Police officers had to resort to a baton charge to disperse the angry followers and bring the situation under control. The saint told local reporters: “Perhaps the will of God was somewhat different. I am very shocked to have given you so much pain. I wanted to leave my mortal body, but I could not. Please forgive me.”
Mayor: ‘Stop pestering me for sex’
A mayor who set up a direct hotline for people to call with civic problems is asking bored housewives to stop inviting him round for sex. Cristian Anghel, mayor of Baia Mare in Romania, claims he had more than a hundred calls in the last week from women declaring their love for him. He said many come straight out and even invite him round for sex, local daily Libertatea reported. Mayor Anghel said: “The number was meant for complaints but some women took it as a sex hotline. “I hear declarations of love and some have even made erotic proposals to me. “I can understand these ladies have desires but their kind of problems need to be solved somewhere else, not at the Town Hall.”
Man wants compensation for gay pig
A Bulgarian farmer has gone to court to demand substantial damages after claiming the prize-winning pedigree pig he bought from a breeder was a homosexual. Farmer Galen Dobrev, 43, from Shumen in Bulgaria told the court: “It’s a disgrace, all he was interested in was other male pigs.” The farmer took pictures of the gay pig to prove the 220- pound boar was homosexual and had fellow farmers testify on his behalf as to the pig’s sexual preferences. He told the court that when his fellow farmers heard about the gay pig it had also been impossible to sell him – and in the end he had turned the animal into sausages. But the breeder who sold the pig claimed that the farmer had acted too soon by making pork sausages, and said that if he had waited until the pig was sexually mature he would have found it performed perfectly normally.
Big Game Deer Hunters Have Real-Life DOOM Deathmatch
5 killed, 3 injured in dispute over deer stand
1 arrested after hunters find a man in their spot and shooting ensues
A dispute among deer hunters over a tree stand in northwestern Wisconsin erupted Sunday in a series of shootings that left five people dead and three others injured, officials said. Jake Hodgkinson, a deputy at the county jail, identified the suspect as Chai Vang but would give no additional details. Several news organizations in Minneapolis-St. Paul reported the suspect was 36-years-old and from St. Paul. The incident happened when two hunters were returning to their rural cabin on private land in Sawyer County and saw the suspect in one of their tree stands, County Chief Deputy Tim Zeigle said. A confrontation and shooting followed. It’s not known who shot first, Zeigle said. Both men were wounded and one of them radioed back to the cabin. Other hunters responded and were shot, he said. Some of the victims may have shot back at the suspect, Zeigle said. The suspect was “sniping” at the victims with a SKS assault-style rifle, Zeigle said. He was “chasing after them and killing them,” he said. The dead included four males, including a teenage boy, and a woman, Zeigle said. The man who radioed for help was not fatally wounded. Some of the victims were shot more than once. All five were dead when officers arrived, he said. Authorities found two bodies near each other and the other three were scattered around the area, which is near Town of Meteor in southwestern Sawyer County. Two people who stayed in the cabin emerged safely after the shootings. The suspect, who did not have a compass, got lost in the woods and two other hunters, not knowing the man was being sought in the shootings, helped him find his way out, Zeigle said. When he emerged from the woods, a Department of Natural Resources officer recognized the deer license on his back, given to police by a victim, Zeigle said. The man was out of bullets when they arrested him, Zeigle said. One of the injured hunters was in critical condition at St. Joseph’s Hospital. Another was listed in serious condition and the third was in fair condition, both at Lakeview Medical Center. Wisconsin’s statewide deer gun hunting season started Saturday and lasts for nine days. Bill Wagner, 72, of Oshkosh, was about two miles away near Deer Lake with a party of about 20 other hunters. He said the incident was “very upsetting.” After they got word of a shooting, he and others went to round up the rest of the party. He said they heard sirens, planes and helicopters and noticed the surrounding roads blocked off. “When you’re hunting you don’t expect somebody to try to shoot you and murder you,” he said. “You have no idea who is coming up to you.” The incident won’t stop their hunt, he said. “We’re all old, dyed-in-wool hunters,” he said. “We wouldn’t go home because of this but we will keep it in our minds. We’re not forgetting it.”
JFK Reloaded: Just in time for Xmas
JFK Shooting Game Branded ‘Despicable’
GLASGOW, SCOTLAND — The family of John F Kennedy has blasted a video game that reconstructs the scene of his assassination. Monday is the 41st anniversary of the event. JFK Reloaded was developed by Stirling, Scotland-based Traffic Games and features a simulation of the assassination using the latest video- game technology. However, a spokesperson for Kennedy’s brother, Senator Edward Kennedy, described it as ‘despicable’, but refused to comment on whether any legal action was planned. Traffic Games said it was commited to ‘promote the game respectfully.’ Kirk Ewing, the company’s managing director says he understood some people may find the game distasteful, but that he maintained an ‘enormous respect’ for the Kennedy family. Ultimately, though, the goal is to recreate the three shots fired at the president by Lee Harvey Oswald from the Texas School Book Depository. Traffic Games says the game is ‘educational’ and will disprove the various conspiracy theories surrounding the assassination.
Hooters v. Knockers. Which One Has Better … um … Wings
Hooters seeks to bust a rival 
Scantily clad servers and restaurant decorations prompt the chain to sue a competitor over ‘intellectual property’ theft.
ORLANDO – (AP) — Hooters of America and a rival restaurant chain have begun arguing in federal court over who has rights to the concept of using scantily clad women to sell food and beer. Hooters of America accuses Ker’s WingHouse of Kissimmee of poaching the idea after Hooters opened its first sports bar in Clearwater in 1983, Hooters lawyer Steve Hill said in opening statements Wednesday in Orlando. ”The evidence will show WingHouse has copied the Hooter girl almost from head to toe,” Hill said. “For want of a better expression, the Hooter girl is our Ronald McDonald.” Crawford Ker said he based his chain on Knockers, a Largo restaurant with an all-female staff that he took over, according to a pretrial deposition. He now has 15 locations, including five in the Orlando area. The chain had revenues of $26 million last year. ”Hooters wants to use the court system to accomplish what it can’t do in the marketplace. It’s going to ask you to create a monopoly,” Ker lawyer Don Conwell said Wednesday. “They’re a 25-year-old chain. . . . They’re not up to the competition.” Atlanta-based Hooters said in a trade dress infringement lawsuit filed last year that Ker’s WingHouse stole everything from the design of its parchment menus to staff calendars and celebrity photographs on the walls. Hooters said other ideas swiped by its rival include Christmas lights and surfboards hanging from the ceiling and signs on the walls warning ”Double Curves” and “Caution: Blonde Thinking.” Hooters earns more than $750 million a year from almost 400 restaurants. ”We believe we are defending the integrity of our intellectual property rights,” Hooters senior vice president Michael McNeil said outside the courtroom Wednesday.
Liza Strikes Back.
Liza Minnelli sues ex-bodyguard
AFTER 
NEW YORK (Liza Minelli Fans Website) – Oscar-winning singer-actress Liza Minnelli has filed a $250,000 counterclaim against a former driver and bodyguard in response to his reported allegations that she frequently beat him, reported yesterday. The 58-year-old Minnelli, who also has been accused by estranged husband David Gest of assault, accuses M’Hammed Soumayah of breach of contract and breach of fiduciary duty. Her court papers ask for a declaratory judgment and an injunction – without elaborating on either point – and relief of “no less than $250,000.” The New York Post reported last month that Soumayah had sued Minnelli, alleging she had physically attacked him during alcohol-fueled tirades. The Post said his lawsuit seeks “money damages arising from personal injuries.” Gest said in a statement Oct. 4 he wasn’t surprised by Soumayah’s lawsuit, “as I witnessed Mr. Soumayah being beaten by Ms. Minnelli on many, many occasions.” Soumayah’s lawyer, Harvey Mars, refused to comment. Liza Minnelli can be seen in the Emmy-winning Fox comedy ‘Arrested Development,’ which airs at 8:30 p.m. Sundays.
Hardees introduces: Instant Heart-Attack.
1,420 calories in America’s new monster hamburger
America’s appetite for junk food has taken on terrifying new proportions in the form of the highest calorie hamburger ever marketed to a nation already sick from overeating. The Monster Thickburger is nothing less than a “monument to decadence”, declares Hardee’s, the chain pandering to the country’s worst instincts for greed and gluttony. Hardee’s new offering: ‘not a burger for tree-huggers’ The burger, which packs a bulging 1,420 calories and 107 grams of fat per portion, also bucks the trend of fast-food restaurants offering healthier alternatives. “It’s not a burger for tree-huggers,” said a Hardee’s executive, rejoicing in their defiance of the fad for salads and “Atkins-friendly” menus. “It’s a lot,” one bloated diner said yesterday after surviving the challenge of eating one in Pennsylvania. “It tastes better than you might suspect. But I think it’s a special treat more than a regular meal.” The Monster Thickburger consists of two slabs of Angus beef (664 calories) and four rashers of bacon (150 calories) with three slices of processed cheese (186 calories), plus mayonnaise (160 calories), sandwiched between a sesame seed bun (230 calories) spread with butter for a final 30. The equivalent of two Big Macs, it costs a mere £3. For £1 more, you can throw in a medium fries and a soft drink and consume an adult’s recommended daily intake of calories at one sitting. The burger requires “two hands, a firm grip and a serious appetite”, Hardee’s boasts. It is also a “heart attack in a bun”, say nutritionists. The company is not as widely spread in America as McDonald’s or Burger King. But by gambling on bigger burgers, it is earning notoriety – and market buzz. However, it also increases the company’s exposure to the threat of lawsuits from customers blaming its food for their obesity, diabetes, heart problems or other conditions linked to poor diet. Attempts to sue McDonald’s for health problems have so far failed, but the litigation threat is still taken seriously by company executives. Hardee’s previous attempt to seduce big eaters was the plain Thickburger. “If the old Thickburger was ‘food porn’, the new Monster Thickburger is the fast-food equivalent of a snuff movie,” the Centre for Science in the Public Interest commented.
Suge Knight Still the Baddest Man in Hip Hop
One Person Stabbed As Fight Breaks Out During Taping of Vibe Awards in Santa Monica, Calif.
One person was stabbed and several were involved in a chaotic fight that broke out at the second annual Vibe awards as rapper Snoop Dogg and producer Quincy Jones were preparing to honor Dr. Dre with a lifetime achievement award. Dozens of people sitting near the stage Monday inside a hangar at the Santa Monica Municipal Airport began shoving each other as the show wound down about 7:30 p.m., a photographer who covered the event for The Associated Press said. News video showed chairs thrown, punches flying, people chasing each another and some being restrained. “To my understanding … the show was going on when the stabbing occurred,” said police Lt. Frank Fabrega in a news conference after the fight. It was unclear if the stabbing preceded or followed the fight. The victim, a 26-year-old man, was taken to a hospital and was listed in stable condition. Police were looking for the assailant and no arrests have been made. Witness Frank Williams told KCAL-TV that Dr. Dre was involved in the brawl. “I saw Dr. Dre fighting somebody,” Williams said. “I don’t know if he was fighting back. But there was a guy taken out basically bloodied.” Andrea Ferguson, employed by a public relations firm that worked with Vibe for the awards ceremony, called the incident a “disruption” but declined to provide details. She added the show was allowed to continue but it was halted for about five minutes. Dr. Dre, who was scheduled to receive a Vibe Legend Award for his lifetime contributions to hip-hop, had not come on stage yet when the fight erupted. Jones and Snoop Dogg stood on stage without saying anything. About 1,000 people attended the event, some of whom scurried for the exits when the fight broke out. “It’s really important that we don’t take a negative incident like this and do away with the awards,” Suge Knight told reporters. The show was taped Monday and was expected to be broadcast Tuesday. R&B singer Usher led the awards with five nominations, followed by Alicia Keys, who has four nominations. Vibe magazine focuses on urban culture and entertainment. The awards are voted on by music journalists and “regional tastemakers.”
Gotti Boys get Beat Down. Someone’s gonna be wearing Rinker (TM) Boots.
Gotti boys reportedly beaten at mall
The Gotti boys, Carmine, 18, and John, 17, are often shown on their tasteful A&E reality show, “Growing Up Gotti,” trying to pick up girls at a mall in Long Island. And according to the New York Post, that’s what they were up to Saturday, when the brother of a 15-year-old girl and two of his friends approached the Gottis and administered a beating on both of them. The unnamed man was enraged after the Gottis allegedly touched his sister inappropriately and “made disgusting comments” to her. “Growing Up” star Victoria said the attack on her sons was unprovoked. No one was arrested and no charges were filed.
Is This Story Real or A Fake?
JET ENGINE SUCKS IN WORKER
Rescuers find only his boots
AN AIRCRAFT engineer has been killed by being sucked into a jet engine. Horrified workmates could only find the maintenance worker’s boots lying on the ground under the Boeing 737 airliner. Tragedy struck when a pilot started up the plane’s two engines, not realising the man was examining them. Within seconds, his entire body had been blasted through the huge rotor blades. His screams were drowned out by the roar of the jets. It was only when airport staff noticed blood spattered on the ground behind one engine that the gruesome accident came to light. The plane, owned by Kazakhstan airline Air Astana, had to be taken out of service while the engine was cleaned. The incident led to an investigation by airport authorities. The plane was understood to be about to leave Moscow for London. The Russian contractor worked for a number of airlines, including British carriers. An airline source said: ‘Everyone is in shock. The engineer was examining an engine but the pilot had not been notified. ‘Within seconds of starting up the engines, the worker was dead. It is highly unusual because there are strict safety procedures which are followed by pilots and engineers to ensure these tragedies don’t happen. The only comfort for the engineer’s family and colleagues was that he would have died very quickly and not known much about it.’ Russian officials yesterday confirmed the incident but would not add further details. The victim’s name, age and the precise date of his death were not revealed.
TiVo is Caving Faster Than a Gingerbread House in Rosie O’Donnel’s Kitchen
Buy a TiVo lately? Sometime in the next few months, your machine will quietly download a patch that makes it respond to a new copy protection scheme from software maker Macrovision. The app puts restrictions on how long your DVR can save certain kinds of shows – so far, just pay-per- view and video-on-demand programs. It’s the first time your TiVo won’t let you watch whatever you want, whenever you want. We asked TiVo general counsel Matthew Zinn why he thinks Hollywood will settle for an inch when it can take a mile.
WIRED: TiVo has always been about empowering the viewer. Why change now?
ZINN: Macrovision changed its policy. So the question was, Do we want to have a Macrovision license with certain restrictions, or none at all? We decided that as long as the restrictions were limited to pay-per-view and video-on-demand, consumers would still have the choice. If they don’t like a narrower window in which to view programming, they won’t purchase it. That’ll send a message to the content owners.
You’re not legally required to have copy protection. Why not tell Macrovision to stuff it?
That was an option. But if there was no Macrovision license, we would run into a lot of copyright problems with things like remote access and “TiVo to Go” functionality. To innovate and give people more flexibility with broadcast content, we decided it was acceptable to allow content owners to apply protections to higher-value content.
What if the higher-value content is just the beginning? This could be a Trojan horse.
That would be a violent blow to consumer flexibility. You could end up in a situation where different products by different manufacturers would have different rules. I don’t think we would go along with it.
With the cable companies in bed with the studios, TiVo could be the last line of defense for the DVR as we know it.
Sometimes I feel that way. We’re aware of the danger, and the slippery slope. The danger is that DRM can tilt the balance of copyright so that ultimately there’s no concept of fair use, because the content owners dictate what the rules are. But I think content owners are beginning to recognize that if you make things too restrictive, then consumers will find nonlegal ways to achieve what they want.
Now I’ve heard of stupid money raising ideas, but this one takes the cake.
Man doing Port-A-Potty fund-raiser assaulted
MATTOON – A Mattoon man raising money for charity by living in a portable toilet for most of November was assaulted early Saturday morning by a teen-ager who had wanted to use the bathroom facilities. Jason Craig, 30, of Mattoon, did not sustain injuries, but the teen-ager was charged with battery for allegedly throwing a metal folding chair at Craig that nicked him in the leg and chipped the toilet seat. “It was pretty insulting,” Craig said Monday in a telephone interview. At approximately 4 a.m. Saturday morning, Craig said, a man knocked on the door of his Port-A-Potty, which is located at the Citgo Gas Station located on Illinois 16 near the Showplace 10 movie theater. Craig said he explained that he was staying in the Port-A-Potty for charity, but the teen, Jordan T. Maxey, 18, of Mattoon, began to argue. The two yelled at each other for five minutes, ending with Maxey throwing the folding chair, Craig said. Maxey sped away in a car, but Craig wrote down the license plate number. A worker inside the gas station phoned police, who arrested Maxey minutes later. Maxey’s court date is set for Dec. 6. “It was just a little chair,” Craig said. “My ego is a little more injured than anything else; I’m not happy about the situation.” Craig had entered the Port-A-Potty on Nov. 1, pledging to stay until Nov. 25 – Thanksgiving – to raise money for holiday gift programs for underprivileged children sponsored by the fire and police departments in Mattoon, along with the Coles County Big Brothers, Big Sisters program. Craig called the cold weather “brutal,” adding that gas station customers often awaken him at 2 or 3 in the morning. He also has experienced some leg pain because of a lack of exercise. He has no plans, however, of leaving early. “I don’t back out of promises,” he said. Donations have been sluggish so far. Craig has raised around $2,000, a figure well below his goal of $25,000. “I really thought we’d get more cooperation,” said Craig, citing a lack of business donations. “We’re at about 50 percent of our stay and about 10 percent of our money.”
Chariots of Cutlery. If Loose Lips Sink Ships Then Steak Knives Kill Wives.
Harness driver gets five-year sentence for stabbing wife
RAVENNA, Ohio (AP) — A top harness racing driver was sentenced to five years in prison for stabbing his estranged wife in the back with a steak knife. “I really screwed my life up,” Walter Case Jr. said Monday in court. “I let alcohol take over my life. I wish I could take it back.” Case is harness racing’s second winningest driver with 11,027 victories. Case, 43, pleaded guilty in September to felonious assault. Police said he attacked his wife on June 22, punching and kicking her until she ran from the couple’s home. He chased her into the street and stabbed her, police said. Nadine Case, 26, had moved out of their home two days earlier but returned to give her husband a check to pay for horses she owned, police said. The attack left her with a collapsed lung, and she filed for divorce in August. Walter Case will be eligible for release after six months, said his attorney, Larry Whitney. Case surrendered his license to race last year after accumulating 178 days of suspensions, most for violating the rule that calls for a driver to keep both feet in the sulky stirrups. In March, the Ohio State Racing Commission denied his request for reinstatement.
Hillary Compares Bill To Library
Hillary: This library is like my husband: It’s open, it’s expansive, it’s welcoming, it’s filled with life, and the exhibits tell the story of someone who loves his fellow man, who cares deeply about all of our children, who recognizes our common humanity. (Show/Hide Article)
Beware of Falling Ice
‘Grapefruit-size’ ice falls on house 
FAA trying to identify source of ice
KENT, Washington (AP) — Investigators are trying to identify the source of ice chunks that smashed through the roof of a house in this Seattle suburb last week, landing on the bed of a 7-year-old girl. They believe the ice formed on an aircraft and broke free, potentially indicating a mechanical or design problem, said Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Mike Fergus. “It’s a safety issue,” Fergus said. Investigators are certain it was not “blue ice,” which comes from leaking airplane lavatories, he added.Troy Halte said his family returned home November 4 to find a hole in the ceiling of their daughter’s bedroom and five chunks of ice on the bed, three of them “the size of grapefruit.” Three more chunks had fallen in the back yard. Fergus said FAA officials are reviewing air traffic control tapes to check for planes that passed over the neighborhood that afternoon. Boeing Co. officials say ice can form on the leading edge of airplanes under some weather conditions, but a company official said she had never heard of the ice falling off and hitting the ground.
Nothing like Christian Romance Novels. Even Tha Lawd Gots Needs
Christian ‘chick lit’ finds faithful audience
Most storylines follow a woman’s search for true love, and a relationship with God.
Kristin Billerbeck is smitten with romance. The author of “She’s Out of Control” and “What a Girl Wants,” a new novel about a 31-year- old attorney searching for true love, Billerbeck sought to make the heroine’s quest as authentic as possible. “It has to capture all the reality of being single, thinking all the time that you don’t necessarily want to be single, and how do you balance that need with your true feelings about each man,” she said. But for Billerbeck, authenticity also means a heroine who connects not only with a man but with the Lord as well. “The character always has to slow down and hear what God is saying to them,” she said while attending a recent national convention of Christian romance and fiction writers in Denver. “I try to present Jesus in a way that shows he’s relevant to modern life.” This year’s convention, a blend of traditional writing conference and prayer meeting, was packed with aspiring Kristin Billerbecks. The group, called Write From the Heart, was founded by six women five years ago. Today it claims a membership of 600. Booming Business The publishing industry is beginning to pay attention. The Christian Booksellers Association estimates that sales of Christian fiction have topped $2 billion a year, and the market share of Christian romance has grown 25 percent a year since 2001, the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association reports. As a result, editors have begun targeting younger people who enjoy both Christian and romantic fiction. “Twenty-something and 30-something women were a grossly underserved market in Christian books,” said Kelly Gallagher, vice president of the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association. “There was nothing out there that dealt with the significant, contemporary life issues they face.” (Show/Hide Rest Of Article)
Star Jones Accepting Wedding Gifts From Sponsors. Like Goodyear!
Star Jones says ‘I do’ to wedding freebies
Like many brides, Star Jones wanted the very best of the best when she planned her wedding. But unlike most brides, she got much of it for free. When she marries Al Reynolds Saturday in New York, The View co-host will have received donated invitations (from Encore Studios and The Stationery Studio), tuxedos (Sarno & Son) and bridesmaids’ gowns (Lazaro Bridal). According to the couple’s wedding Web site (www.starandal.com), they even have an “official airline of our wedding weekend” (Continental).
What have the suppliers received in return? Potential public mentions, or plugs, for their products. Wedding experts say Jones, a spokeswoman for Payless Shoes, has pushed product-placement and celebrity freebies to a new extreme. She has taken heat for soliciting freebies and for her on-air plugs for wedding suppliers on The View. Jones has denied wrongdoing. A show spokesman says Jones’ plugs on The View followed federal regulations, which prohibit on-air mentions in exchange for products. It’s a murky area, but since the controversy arose, Jones has noticeably cut back on on-air wedding chatter. Jones isn’t the first star to get financial help for a wedding. Some cost-reducing tactics:
Most stars don’t want freebies, says wedding planner Mindy Weiss, who worked with Jessica Simpson, “because then they have to talk publicly about intimate parts of their lives” in exchange. Jones’ approach is a sign that the no-cost celebrity wedding has “most definitely” crossed a line, Weiss says. “It’s not so much a wedding as it’s a business deal. Where’s the romance?” Karen Wood, president of Backstage Creations, which creates free gift bags for many awards shows, says just four years ago companies resisted giving freebies to celebrities. But in today’s business world, it is a “powerful” tool. “Companies are shifting their advertising dollar because (giving stars freebies is) so much more effective” than newspaper or TV ads. But Wood warns that negative publicity, such as that associated with Jones’ wedding, “might backfire on a brand.”
Talk About Flying Coach. Wheel Wells don’t get the hot towel.
Naked Man Hides in Plane Wheel Well
Man Strips Naked, Climbs Fence and Hides in Plane Wheel Well at Los Angeles Airport
A man was charged with trespassing after he stripped naked, scaled a airport fence, ran across the tarmac and climbed into a plane’s wheel well before firefighters talked him out, officials said. The man had earlier tried to buy a ticket for a Qantas Airways flight to Australia with only a credit card receipt. He told authorities at Los Angeles International Airport that he stripped off his clothes Monday to protest the airline’s decision to deny him the ticket, airport spokeswoman Nancy Castles said. The man, Neil Melly, 31, of Canada, suffers from bipolar disorder (also called manic-depressive illness) and had been listed as a missing person in Canada, Castles said. He was booked on a tresspassing charge, and was released from custody Tuesday. Baggage handlers saw the man climb an 8-foot, barbed-wire fence that separates public and private areas of the airport and run to a departing plane as it backed from the gate. He climbed into a wheel well before the plane stopped. He ignored police officers’ commands to come out, but complied when city firefighters arrived. The Boeing 747, bound for Melbourne, Austrialia, departed an hour late. Airport authorities will look into improving the fence, said Paul Haney, a spokesman for the agency that operates the airport.
Tha Horra. Liza is a Sex Starved Man Abuser
Halloween’s over, freak!Bodyguard: Minnelli made me have sex
NEW YORK (AP) – Liza Minnelli’s bodyguard claims the Oscar-winning actress made him have sex with her in order to keep his job, according to recently unsealed court documents. While working for Minnelli, Soumayah was coerced by Minnelli to have sex, his court papers say. The allegations are detailed in M’Hammed Soumayah’s $100 million lawsuit against the entertainer. Minnelli’s lawyers did not return calls for comment Wednesday. But in a court document, one of her lawyers said Soumayah had “commenced this action in a quick sand of untruths and misstatements” and accused him of a “shakedown” of her client. In the lawsuit, Soumayah, 56, accused Minnelli of assault and battery, breach of contract, withholding payment for services rendered and sexual harassment. Although the suit was filed Sept. 30 in Manhattan’s state Supreme Court and sealed by Justice Barbara Kapnick, she unsealed it late Tuesday over the objections of Minnelli’s lawyers. (Show/Hide Rest Of Article)
To: exgrl82@aol.com / From: jigalow79@hotmail.com / Subject: FYI / Yo Honey, remember last night? I gave you the clap. Sorry.
San Francisco health officials have kicked off a new “hip, funny, and to-the-point” way for gay men to inform their partners that they might have been exposed to a sexually transmitted disease. The Department of Public Health’s STD Services Web site, http://www.inspot.org, will allow men diagnosed with an STD to notify their partners via electronic postcard that they need to get tested. The Web site was developed and designed by a group of Community Advisory Members in San Francisco, reports Eileen Shields, spokeswoman for the San Francisco Department of Public Health. Developers of the Web site claim that it will remove the stigma of notifying a sexual partner that they might have been exposed to a life-threatening disease. Dr. Jeffrey D. Klausner, director of San Francisco’s STD Prevention Section, said in a written statement that the Web site is a “way to help gay men approach the subject of STDs that protects an individual’s privacy and empowers men to take the responsibility of informing partners themselves.” The electronic postcards have greetings like “I got screwed, while screwing, you might have too,” or “It’s not what you brought to the party, it’s what you left with. I left with a STD, you might have too.”
Foreman’s Grills Aren’t Knocking Out As Much Fat. So Now Foreman Knocks Out Dirt.
Costs put heat on Foreman grillmaker
Salton posts loss as materials costs rise
LAKE FOREST, Ill. – Salton Inc., maker of the George Foreman grill and other household products, reported a loss in the latest quarter as materials costs rose sharply and domestic sales were flat. In the fiscal first quarter ended Oct. 2, the Lake Forest-based company lost $3.2 million, or 28 cents a share, on revenue of $274.1 million. In the same period last year, it earned $741,000, or 5 cents a share, on revenue of $238.5 million. The latest quarter loss includes a $672,000 restructuring charge. Quarterly revenue rose mainly on strong international sales and a $10.4 million boost from the weak dollar. Salton said it would pass on to customers the higher materials costs, driven by higher oil prices. It said it could not predict how the higher prices would affect sales. Salton’s brands include Westinghouse, Toastmaster, Melitta, Farberware and Stiffel. New York Stock Exchange-listed Salton shares traded Wednesday afternoon at $6.54, down 52 cents, or 7.4 percent.
Press Release Source: The KNOCKOUT GROUP, Inc. George Foreman Introduces New Line of Household Cleaners Monday November 8, 10:50 am ET
NORTHLAKE, Ill., Nov. 8 /PRNewswire/ — George Foreman is joining the $2 billion plus household cleaning products industry with a new line of environmentally friendly cleaners. Experts believe the combination of his powerful name, brand presence, and his new cleaning line’s innovative Encapsulation(TM) Technology will make his Knock-Out® Household Cleaning System plus Disinfectant a big hit with consumers. In addition to the cleaners, the Knock-Out® System also includes the first botanical disinfectant in the U.S. made from plant extracts that kill 99.99 percent of bacteria. George Foreman’s Knock-Out® Super Disinfectant Spray is the only disinfectant registered by the EPA for use on food contact surfaces, as well as children’s toys and high chairs. The intention behind Foreman’s new product launch is to help protect people’s health, and to leave a clean environmental legacy for future generations. “I only get behind products that I really trust and believe in,” said Foreman. “My new Household Cleaning System and Disinfectant will help people win the fight against dirt, grease, grime and bacteria without hurting the ones we love, our pets, or the world we all share. That’s why I put my name and signature on every bottle.” The George Foreman Knock-Out® System consists of three cleaners and one disinfectant — a Multi- Purpose Cleaner, a Deep Stain Remover, a Streak-Free Glass Cleaner and a Super Disinfectant Spray (known as Disinfectant Spray in California). The three cleaners can take on all of the toughest cleaning challenges in the home. They are powerful enough to banish nasty soap scum, grease and grime, power out stains like wine and lipstick on everything from carpets and upholstery to laundry and delicate silk, and bring out the shine on glass, windows and more. Also, they contain no synthetic fragrances, dyes or harsh chemicals. Foreman’s patent-pending cleaners feature an exclusive trademarked process called Encapsulation(TM) Technology. This supercharged formula generates a perpetual molecular motion that breaks down, lifts up and then suspends dirt, grease and grime until it’s wiped away for a true, deep down clean. This technology is not the only feature that sets these cleaners apart from others. Instead of using harsh solvents, these products contain biodegradable ingredients that are so effective, yet so safe, that you don’t need gloves to use the products and they don’t require warning labels. “I’m very proud of the fact that these cleaners and the disinfectant are tough on grease, grime, and bacteria yet easy on the wallet and the world,” said Foreman. The Knock-Out® line delivers premium performance at a price that’s on par with traditional cleaners.”
The complete line of George Foreman’s Knock-Out® Household Cleaning System is now available at most Target stores, Walgreens, Publix, and Duckwall, and will soon be available at other mass retailers, grocery and drug store chains. For more information on George Foreman’s Knock-Out® Household Cleaning System, visit http://www.knockoutcleaning.com
Lord of The Rings Comes To Life. The Hobbit Exists!
Mysteries of newly found ‘hobbit’ lure tourists to remote Indonesian isle
LIANG BUA, Indonesia – The discovery of remains of a tiny human closely related to man on the remote Indonesian island of Flores and tales of hobbit-like creatures who still roam its jungles have triggered an influx of visitors in search of a fabled lost world. Paleontologists last week said they had exhumed the bones of a previously unknown species, Homo floresiensis, from a cave near the village of Liang Bua, a revelation that has shaken the evolutionary tree and the science community. The find, by researchers speculating that the tiny humans match tales of gluttonous little folk seen in the island’s uncharted forests, has fired the imagination of visitors willing to make the arduous trek to what they hope will be a real-life Jurassic Park. (Show/Hide Rest Of Article)
Dammed Rich Beavers.
Beavers Make Dam Out of Stolen Money
GREENSBURG, La. – Beavers found a bag of bills stolen from a casino, tore it open and wove the money into the sticks and brush of their dam on a creek near Baton Rouge. “They hadn’t torn the bills up. They were still whole,” said Maj. Michael Martin of the East Feliciana Parish Sheriff’s Office. The money was part of at least $70,000 taken last week from the Lucky Dollar Casino in Greensburg, about 30 miles northeast of Baton Rouge. Sheriff’s deputies in St. Helena Parish, where the truck stop video poker casino is located, have accused a security guard at the casino of disabling its security cameras. Jacqueline Wall, 25, was booked with felony theft, Martin said. She told investigators a ski-masked gunman made her help him empty all the casino’s safes, then kidnapped her, knocked her out and left her in an uninhabited area in East Feliciana Parish. Deputies had searched for the money for days before an attorney called with a tip: the money had been thrown into the creek. The attorney’s client hopes to make a deal with prosecutors, Greensburg Police Chief Ronald Harrell said. They found one money bag right away. The second was downstream, against the beaver dam. After trying unsuccessfully to find the third bag in the deep water near the dam, Martin said, deputies began to break it down to release some of the water so they could search in a shallower pool. That was when they saw the dam’s expensive decoration. He said they eventually found the third sack, which still had some money left in it. “The casino people were elated” to get the money back, even if some of it was wet, Harrell said. Deputies found about $40,000, and expected to find the rest in a safety deposit box at a bank in Mississippi.
Allah Made Me Funny: The Muslim Kings of Comedy
Muslim comics sway believers, nonbelievers as they poke clean fun at life, policies in U.S.
Standing on the stage of the San Jose Improv, in front of 300 people who want to laugh, Azhar Usman is riffing about life as an American Muslim. There’s a joke about being on a plane and making other passengers nervous because of his black beard, black clothing and Muslim skull cap. “Look,” Usman says, “if I’m going to hijack a plane, this isn’t the disguise I’m going to go with.” There’s a joke about the Muslim greeting “Salaam alaikum,” in which Usman acts like a non- Muslim who misunderstands what he hears. “Salami and bacon? I thought you don’t eat pork.” (Show/Hide Rest Of Article)
Witch Capital of the World Looking For Extreme Makeover
Some in Salem want to craft a new image
Officials seek to soften the witchery theme, even though it draws tourists.
SALEM, Mass. – There’s no escaping the witch on these cobblestone streets. There are ancient witches, modern witches, wax witches, stuffed witches. Everywhere, the classic broom-riding sorceress in the pointy hat adorns T-shirts and shot glasses and coffee cups. The hundreds of thousands of tourists expected to descend on the town this Halloween season can visit dozens of museums and shops specializing in the occult, including the Witch Dungeon Museum and the Salem Witch Museum, where exhibits are translated into six languages. Or they can hire practicing witches for a tour of the city’s “magical spots.” But some city officials think the time has come for the Witch City to play down the history that has linked Salem to the supernatural ever since 19 people accused of being witches were hanged on Gallows Hill in 1692. The city’s tourism group has hired a Boston firm to reinvent Salem’s image, to emphasize its art, ships, architecture, restaurants and shopping. “The witch history has always been an important part of the city and always will be, but [Salem] has sort of gotten known very narrowly in terms of the Halloween thing,” said Mark Minelli, president of Minelli Inc., the consulting firm hired by the city. Minelli has proposed a new slogan: “Think you know Salem? Think again.” A ‘unique’ attraction The soul-searching over Salem’s public image has angered some residents; they say the city should not forsake the witch theme, which helps attract more than one million visitors each year. Highlighting arts and culture, they argue, will mean less tourism money. “People come here for witch history,” said Leif Rochna, executive director of the Salem Witch Village and the Salem Wax Museum. “We have something that is so unique. It’s a huge tourism tool. For many, many, many years, we’ve been known as the Witch City.” The witch permeates Salem’s everyday life: At high school football games, the mascot wears a pointy black hat and sits atop a broom. The same image is emblazoned on police cruisers, and the witch rides the masthead of the local newspaper. Others say the whole witch image has descended into kitsch. They point to the posters that appeared around town last month to advertise the annual Vampires’ Masquerade Ball in October, depicting a woman wearing a black bikini, fresh blood smeared across her mouth and body. After protests that the posters were too racy, organizers took them down.
A recent phenomenon Despite Salem’s history, witch-related tourism only recently came to the town of 42,000 northeast of Boston. When Arthur Miller came to Salem to research his 1953 play, The Crucible, based on the witch trials, he reportedly was astounded that no one in the city wanted to talk about witches, said Jim McAllister, a local historian who runs Derby Square Tours. In 1970, the popular TV sitcom Bewitched boosted Salem’s national profile when it aired a string of episodes, filmed on site, which took place in the town. In subsequent years, two other events drew attention to the city’s history: The Salem Witch Museum opened, and Laurie Cabot, the city’s first self-proclaimed practicing witch, moved to town. “No one in Salem had ever seen a witch before,” said Christian Day, a practicing witch. “They read about them in history books.” By the 1980s, the city was hosting Haunted Happenings, an annual Halloween festival. In 1992, the 300th anniversary of the witch trials attracted a record number of tourists. But Salem is changing. The city – named one of the country’s most livable communities this year by a Washington nonprofit group – has experienced a housing boom and a host of restaurant openings. The Peabody Essex Museum reopened last year with a $125 million expansion that transformed it from a sleepy local exhibit into an acclaimed collection housed in a large complex. In the summer, a new wireless zone opened downtown. “Salem is a widely known and perhaps even worldwide recognized city,” said Mayor Stanley J. Usovicz Jr. “But I think with that recognition, it becomes an almost pigeonholing of what Salem is like, being known as the Witch City. We’re much more than that.”
The Car Surfing Epidemic – Dumbases Standing on Moving Vehicles
Teen killed while ‘car surfing’ on front of Jeep
(10/25/04 – HOUSTON) – An afternoon of playing around for some teenagers turned deadly in a north Houston neighborhood Monday when one of them climbed on top of a moving vehicle and was then run over. It happened near the intersection of Kaler and San Miguel at around 3:30pm Monday. The 17-year-old victim, who has not yet been identified, was being given a ride home by his friends. Police say at one point, the teen decided to climb on top of his friend’s Jeep while the vehicle was still moving. Somehow, the victim fell and was run over. Investigators say the victim lives in the neighborhood where this tragedy happened. The teen’s friends performed CPR until emergency crews arrived, but the the teen could not be saved. Police say what the teen was doing is called ‘car surfing’, a dangerous activity in which a person stands on the outside of a vehicle while it’s in motion.
Apparent car surfing incident leaves man in critical condition
NORTH LAS VEGAS, NV, November 8 A 29-year-old man is in critical condition after he was apparently car surfing in North Las Vegas. Police say Ralph Brooks was lying on the hood of the car when the driver suddenly came to a halt near Decatur and Grand Teton. Police say his wife, 28-year-old Natalia Brooks, was driving the vehicle when her husband was thrown shortly after 9:00 AM Sunday. Investigators say she stopped the car abruptly after her husband’s hat blew off. A decision on charges will be based on the extent of the man’s injuries and the results of a blood test on the driver. Alcohol is thought to be a factor in accident. Ralph Brooks was transported to UMC.
Oh Those Wacky Serbs: Get Your Hot Balls Right Here.
Are there any testicle chefs out there?
Australian chefs with a skill in cooking kangaroo testicles are being invited to Serbia next year for the World Testicle Cooking Championship. The annual event which is organised by the Serbian Tourism Board is open to specialist cooks from around the world and this year the contestants had to come up with the best “bull and wild boar testicle combination”. But next year the organisers want to use more exotic testicles to attract more international chefs – and have invited chefs to prepare a kangaroo, ostrich and camel testicle combination. Testicles are regarded as a gourmet food in Serbia and organiser Ljubomir Erovic from the Serbian Tourism Board said they were hoping to export cooked testicles around the world, and promote the gourmet delicacy to visitors to the country. “We believe the best cooked balls come from Serbia and we stage this contest to show the world what great dishes can be cooked using testicles, which are known locally here as ‘white kidneys’,” Erovic said. “All testicles can be eaten, except human of course – we don’t want any cannibals here.” This year’s contest in the northern village of Savinac near the town of Gornji Milanovac was won by gourmet testicle chef Dejan Milovanovic from Belgrade. Milovanovic’s specialist bull and a boar dish beat off challengers from around the world, who cooked their way through more than 20 kilos of prepared testicles. “Testicles are becoming more popular in Belgrade and we hope that more restaurants will offer this local speciality now that they see what tasty dishes can be created,” he said.
Kangaroo testicles have been added to European menus since C List celebrities were forced to eat them on British reality TV show “I’m a Celebrity … Get Me Out of Here” set in the Queensland jungle. – AAP
Mother, You’ve Just Been Served … A Subpoenna!
Schoolboy sues mom for not buying him a PC
HONG KONG: An 11-year-old boy in central China took his mother to court for breaking a promise to buy him a computer if he did well at school, a news report said last Monday. The woman told her son she would buy him a computer if he scored average marks of more than 94% for his school work, the Hong Kong edition of the China Daily reported. However, she welshed on the deal when he achieved an average of 97%, telling him she could not afford to buy the computer, the newspaper said. The schoolboy from Xingzheng, Henan province, then went to court asking a judge to make his mother honour the verbal agreement. At the hearing, the judge reconciled the mother and son. According to the newspaper, the boy gained his knowledge of law after helping his parents with their small business. — dpa
Heathenous Lion Rejects The Almighty
Lion attacks ‘preacher’ in zoo
Taipei – A lion attacked a man who jumped into the animal’s enclosure and shouted “Jesus will save you!” at the big cat on Wednesday at the zoo in Taiwan’s capital. Cable TV stations showed the lion ripping a jacket off the man as he stood in a grassy enclosure that held two of the animals. Without panicking, the man fell back on a stone ridge, and the lion then jumped at him, biting him in the arm. The lion then clawed at his trousers before retreating. The man then calmly stood with his arms outstretched in front of the two animals. An eyewitness, Hsu Li-jen, told cable station CTI that the man shouted “Jesus will save you” at the animals. Guards drove the lions away with water hoses, and police shot the animals with tranquilliser darts. The man, identified only by his surname, Chen, then picked up his jacket and climbed out of the pen himself. He was taken to the hospital for tests. “He had bite marks both at the front and back of his leg,” Doctor Wang Yao-ching told CTI. Another doctor said Chen, 46, also had psychological problems. “He took this dangerous action today because he imagined he heard voices,” psychiatrist Teng Hui-wen told reporters, saying his case was still being investigated.
Pizza Delivery Guy Robbed, Assaulted With Pumpkins
Pizza delivery man struck with pumpkin on the job
This Halloween, a local pizza deliveryman learned an important lesson — watch out for flying pumpkins. Fifteen to 20 unknown subjects hit a Papa Romeo’s deliveryman with a pumpkin Sunday night while he was bringing a pizza to an Evanston home, said Cmdr. Joe Bellino of Evanston Police Department. The subjects then stole the man’s car and crashed it into a fence, Bellino said. Papa Romeo’s driver Dharmender Kumar said he was delivering to a house on the 1600 block of Davis Street at about 8 p.m. when four or five boys came out of nowhere, throwing pumpkins at him. “One pumpkin hit me, and I ducked down,” said Kumar, 26, pointing to his chest. “It was a big pumpkin, and it hit me very hard.” Kumar — who sought safety in the house — said he had left his keys in the car. “Suddenly, 20 to 25 boys come near my car,” he said. “Two or three go inside, and they’re searching. One guy takes the key and starts the car, and they left.” Officers found the car crashed into a fence at Hines Edward Lumber Company, 1613 Church St., Bellino said. Hines Edwards employees knew nothing of the prank. “If it did (happen), nobody mentioned it,” employee Jim Perrin said Monday. “They could have hit (the fence), but yeah, we’ve been able to open it. No problems.” The Honda was not as lucky — the bumper was broken. The boys also took Kumar’s sunglasses and $60 or $70, he said. Although Halloween marked his first pumpkin attack, Kumar said this was not his only problematic delivery. “Boys with guns” took about $60 from him several years ago, and six months ago someone grabbed an entire pizza and ran away with it. Still, Kumar seemed unfazed by the unexpected pumpkin blow.
American Idol Class debuts at UNC Chalotte. In Related News – Sky Falling
N.C. University Offers Class On ‘American Idol’
RALEIGH, N.C. — The University of North Carolina at Charlotte is offering students a chance to earn credit studying “American Idol.” Beginning in January, students at UNCC can earn three credits taking the class, “Examining ‘American Idol’ Through Musical Critique.” Students will watch the show twice a week and study the history of musical styles used in the show including Motown and Broadway. The class will devise a contestant rating system. The final will be a paper explaining who should win and why. Assistant musicology professor Jay Grymes came up with the idea. He’s a huge fan of the show. He said it can be a springboard for discussing music performances and critiques. “American Idol” alums Clay Aiken and Fantasia Barrino are both from North Carolina.
$20K Worth Of Wine Stolen, Traded For Trinkets
$20K in wine stolen Cops: Luxury reds pawned for $300, cigarettes.
Thieves stole 250 bottles of high-end wine worth $20,000 from a Noe Valley home, then pawned 52 bottles for $300 and cigarettes to a convenience store not knowing their true value, police say. It was wine buff Adam Belsky’s worst nightmare. The attorney’s 250 lovingly cellared, luxury French and Italian reds were snatched from his empty home while it was under renovation in August. On a hunch, cops checked out the nearby Rosenberg Delicatessen at Noe and Market streets, and there sat 52 of the coveted classics, worth several thousand dollars. Wines such as a $70 bottle of Ceretto Bricco Rocche Barolo Prapo were wedged between $6.99 chardonnay and chocolate bars, sweltering in less-than-perfect temperatures and probably ruined, said burglary Insp. Rich Leon. Convicted drug dealer Sterling Gerard, 36, was charged last week with stealing the wine. Cops allege he broke into the house not knowing the wine was there, discovered it and used a wine bottle to prop open the door to make his escape. Police say he left a fingerprint on that bottle of wine. A further 198 wines of immense sentimental and financial value — the fruits of Belsky’s five-year labor of love — are still missing. Gone is the 2000 Chateau Lafite Rothschild Bordeaux that Belsky paid a cool $500 for at his son’s birth, with plans to open on his 21st birthday. Lost is the $100 Altesino Brunello Montalcino Di Montosoli he and his wife bought on a romantic getaway to Italy in 1997, a bumper vintage. “These guys were idiots. It’s devastating and frustrating because they didn’t know what they were taking but it meant a lot to me,” said Belsky, who is insured. Gerard denies involvement in the crime. Police suspect a second, unknown thief sold the 52 bottles. The store owner told police he paid $300 and cigarettes for all the boutique wines, which ordinarily fetch at least $69 each. He then priced the premium bottles accurately. He told cops that the seller said the wines had belonged to his mother who just died. Police did not charge the store owner with receiving stolen goods because they could not prove he knew the wine was stolen. But the Department of Alcohol Beverage Control is investigating, because it is illegal to buy wine from an unlicensed seller.
Klan Halloween Costume Wins Michigan Kid Top Prize
Klan costume gets top prize – and suspension
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – A high school student’s costume garnered a top prize – and a five-day suspension – at the school’s Halloween masquerade party. The Ku Klux Klansman getup took the prize for the scariest costume at the City High School dance attended by the principal, assistant principal and other staff members. Superintendent Bert Bleke said he agreed with the school’s decision to suspend the student but wanted to know why adults at the party failed to stop the senior, who was wearing a white-hooded outfit, from entering, much less winning a prize. “There are a number of questions I have and don’t yet have answers to,” Bleke said. Contacted by the newspaper, the student declined to discuss his Halloween outfit. He said school leaders advised him to keep mum, and that he didn’t want to cause any more trouble for himself.
Violence Erupts at Chess Awards Show. That’s Right. A Chess Riot!
An international scandal has broken out over the arrest of World Chess Federation (FIDE) vice president Zurab Azmaiparashvili during the award ceremony for the winners of the just-concluded 36th Olympiad in Calvia de Mallorca, Spain. As of Monday, Spanish federal police still had in their custody, reportedly without charges, the 2003 European chess champion from Georgia in Palmanova, also in Mallorca. Azmaiparashvili was trying to call the attention of FIDE officials onstage led by president Kirsan Ilyumzhinov of the Russian republic of Kalmykia and his predecessor, honorary president Florencio Campomanes of the Philippines, when security guards stopped the Georgian chess grandmaster. Police claimed the FIDE official had butted one of the guards in the face, prompting the other guards to beat him up. Earlier, while he was with his wife, Azmaiparashvili figured in a heated argument with organizers and their security men over his demand for an extra room as a FIDE official. He had been billeted in the hotel as a member of the Georgian men’s team. In the second incident, he claimed he was only trying to intercede on behalf of his compatriot, former world champion Nona Gaprindashvili, who he said had not been properly introduced before being given a special award as a prominent Georgian player. FIDE officials are demanding the release of Azmaiparashvili and have protested the way Spanish organizers of the Olympiad and their security guards treated him. “Why a FIDE official with VIP accreditation should be treated in such an aggressive way is beyond belief and leaves all the chess family astonished and angryâ?¦. At this moment, FIDE regrets to have had no assistance in this very serious matter either from the Calvia Chess Olympiad [organizers] or the Spanish Chess Federation,” a press statement said. Meanwhile, world No. 1 Garry Kasparov has thrown into doubt his match in Dubai next month with world champion Rustam Kasimdzhanov of Uzbekistan as part of the world title reunification program of FIDE president Ilyumzhinov. In a letter to the FIDE congress held during the Olympiad, Kasparov said he would not play unless the $1 million prize money for the Dubai match “is in escrow by October 31.” Also, 10 young players fly off to Europe Tuesday to compete in the World Youth Chess Championships to be held from November 3 to 14 in Heraklio, Crete, Greece.
Condi Rice – prematurely looking for work?
If President George W. Bush does not win next week’s election, New York’s Daily News reports that Condoleezza Rice is looking to the sports world for her next gig. The national security adviser has indicated that she’d be interested in being either NFL commissioner or head of the Women’s National Basketball Association. Since Val Ackerman stepped down last week, the paper reports that Rice has been short-listed for the position. We can just see it … within weeks of being head of the WNBA, Rice will declare war on the already embattled National Hockey League, claiming the players smuggle enriched uranium in hockey sticks. (more)
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