myopiclunacy.com

News : Parents let 16-year-old drop out to play Guitar Hero [Xbox 360] – from GamePro.com

North Carolina resident Blake Peebles is dropping out of high school to concentrate on playing Guitar Hero full-time, and he’s doing so with the full support of his parents. “We couldn’t take the complaining anymore,” says parent Hunter Peebles. “He always told me that he thought school was a waste of time.” Instead, Peebles will be home schooled, and will use the extra time that affords his schedule to hit up bars, clubs and tournaments to make a living as a professional Guitar Hero gamer. How much does that glamorous lifestyle make someone these days? To date, Peeble’s biggest haul is 52 Chick-fil-A combo meals and a few gift certificates. The average haul for one of the professional gamers mentioned in the original article is $25,000. Over eight years.

Leonid Stadnyk of Ukraine deprived of world’s tallest title : Ukraine News by UNIAN

Guinness World Records has returned the title of world`s tallest man to China`s Bao Xishun after Ukrainian Leonid Stadnyk refused to be measured under new guidelines, according to Reuters. Bao, who stands at 7 feet, 8.95 inches, held the title for a year before losing it in 2006 to Stadnyk, who is 8 feet 5.5 inches tall, Craig Glenday, editor-in-chief of Guinness World Records, told Reuters. While Bao has been measured by Guinness, which required him to be measured six times in one day — both standing and lying down — Stadnyk has refused. His title was awarded based on a statement from his doctor. “We realized there was such interest and excitement in these categories to do with height that it was too important a category for us to leave it to a doctor alone,” Glenday said. “So we decided to tighten things up completely to make sure there was no doubt.” Glenday said Guinness had been asking Stadnyk since about 2004 — when the organization first heard of him — if they could measure him, offering to fly officials to the Ukraine or fly him to Britain. “He has gone on record saying he doesn`t want to be bothered. Basically he doesn`t want the fame and publicity that comes with being the world`s tallest man,” he said. “Whether or not that`s the real reason … I`m not sure, but that`s what he`s told us.” Stadnyk, who lives with his mother in a tiny village in central Ukraine, told Reuters last year he doesn`t “need glory. I just want a normal life under normal conditions.”

Nba: Which NBA Player Was Hitting On Kara Goucher?

The sinewy young lady in this picture is Kara Goucher, who will be representing the U.S. in both the 5,000m and 10,000m in Beijing. She’s a pleasant, friendly woman, who’s been “writing home” about her Olympic experience for the Duluth News Tribune. She had an amusing little anecdote in her entry on August 10:

Then we had a two-hour wait until we actually marched in. At this point, athletes started mingling and I met [USA men's basketball players] Carmelo Anthony, LeBron James, Kobe Bryant and Jason Kidd. I got my picture with all of them. They were all very nice and asked me about running track. One of them actually ended up asking for my number, and chatting me up for a while, and got out his camera to take a picture with me, but that’s a story for another time.”

Well, Goucher is married and probably wasn’t interested anyway. But somehow Voucher’s friendly, aw shucks, starstruck-vibe indicated to one of our Redeem Team superstars that she was open for business. It’s probably Jason Kidd, who’s just amazed that any woman not legally required to stand 500-yards away from him and who doesn’t slap him in the face after thirty seconds of smalltalk is probably interested in more than a picture and a friendly chat about “running track.”

Jason Peter Wants To “Spit In Lou Holtz’s ****-ing Face” – NCAA Football FanHouse

Over the course of the past year or two, Lou Holtz has morphed from a lispy old coach who left every team he directed on probation into college football’s wacky old uncle. He did this with magic tricks, mostly, and now everyone loves him. Except former Nebraska star Jason Peter, that is:

“I still wouldn’t turn down the opportunity to spit in Lou Holtz’s (bleeping) face … Each Saturday in the fall when Holtz makes his jovial, dumb … remarks on ESPN, I hope he knows that there’s at least one family on the other side of the screen, the Peter family, that knows what a — – — he really is.”

Anyone with even the slightest skills at expletive inferral knows what “bleeping” is, but the three sets of double en dashes are mysterious, aren’t they? This is fun. I would like to know what those are as long as I don’t have to buy Peter’s book, which is about his heroic triumph over a bunch of drugs. Why is the Peter family so anti-Holtz? Peter relates that his younger brother was a highly touted offensive lineman who committed to Notre Dame shortly before he broke a vertebra in his neck. Holtz never called or visited, though two Notre Dame assistants did, and in the fall Damien was “frozen out, ignored, discarded” by Holtz and company. IMO: weak sauce. Probably hyped up to sell books.

Romanian Boxers Caught Shoplifting, Sent Home – cbs2chicago.com

Three boxers are getting international attention for the wrong reason. They were busted on State Street for allegedly attempting to shoplift. CBS 2 Chief Correspondent Jay Levine has the reaction from the boxing championships in Chicago. Monday was a day off for boxers remaining in contention for medals. Others ousted in earlier bouts, have the rest of the week off to enjoy the city. But not three Romanian boxers caught shoplifting Friday night. According to a release Monday from the AIBA, Marius Bogdan Dinu, 21, Ronald Gavril, 21, and Gabriel Julian Stan, 20, were caught shoplifting at Nordstrom on Friday evening. AIBA considers such conduct “completely unacceptable” and sent all three athletes and the Romanian team manager home on Sunday, according to a news release. “They were ejected from the tournament, sent home and received a lifetime ban,” said AIBA spokesperson Richard Baker. Baker said the young men were caught trying to leave the department store just after 7 Friday night with merchandise they hadn’t paid for. Chicago Police were called at 7:30 p.m. We didn’t find out about it until earlier Monday because the store declined to press charges. Nordstrom’s Admonishment Agreement Program states that when there’s “no weapon involved,” the “merchandise is returned” and the suspects are cooperative and “confess in writing,” Nordstrom’s policy is not to press charges. No police report was filed, no arrests were made and “a level of resolution was reached,” according to Police News Affairs Director Monique Bond.

Telly Savalas arrested in Tampa twice! | 10connects.com | Tampa, St. Petersburg, Clearwater

Tampa, Florida – May he rest in peace. Actor Telly Savalas, best known as Kojak, has been long gone. But his name lives on and not in a good way in Tampa. In a matter of 23 hours, two men, both named Telly Savalas were arrested in the Bay area. First, Tuesday Tampa police arrested 31-year old Telly Savalas Cheatam for grand theft auto and burglary. He lives in Apollo Beach. He has an extensive criminal history. Then today, Hillsborough County Deputies arrested a man, also named Telly Savalas Wimbley for misdemeanor charges, who they say was trespassing. He is 28 years old and has a long arrest record.

QuizLaw: Rough Sex a Little Too Rough

Here’s a valuable lesson, folks: Knives, alcohol, and sex don’t mix:

A Winnipeg woman who accidentally plunged a knife into her boyfriend’s chest during a drunken bout of rough sex received a three-year conditional discharge yesterday. “Hospital staff thought he was going to die, he was very close to death,” said Crown attorney Larry Allan, adding the man has fully recovered. Allan said the man and woman had been drinking heavily and were engaged in “rough sex activities” when the man requested she “carve artwork” into his chest. “He said they engaged in dangerous play, and due to her intoxication, was not precise with the knife and punctured his heart,” Allan said. The man told police the stabbing was an accident and that the two routinely cut and scratched each other with knives. The man showed police several wounds, including a heart-shaped scar on his back featuring the woman’s initials.

Well, at least she wasn’t using a chainsaw.

CollegeFanz: Purdue Defensive Back trying to be to …

Purdue University’s senior defensive back Torri S. Williams has been suspended indefinitely from the team after his latest off-the-field issue. Already on probation for drunk driving in March 2007, Williams was again arrested last week at a Pay Less Supermarket for shoplifting. The item he allegedly stole? Condoms. Yes, the saftey was just trying to be safe, but didnt feel he had to pay. However, this lapse in judgment could kick him off the team as well as serve up to a year in jail for violating his probation. I really hope those condoms were worth all this trouble.

Teens Turn Skull Into Bong – Texas Marijuana Bong Skull – WKRG.com

HOUSTON (AP) – Three Texas teens have been arrested after police say one told them that they had dug up a skull and fashioned it into a bong to smoke pot. Houston Police were interviewing one of the teens about a stolen debit card when he allegedly blurted out the story. Authorities say the teens dug up Willie Simms’ grave in what is most likely a 19th century veterans grave yard, broke off the skull and smoked marijuana from it. Police were led to the grave site where they found a knocked over headstone and a water-filled hole more than four-feet deep. Two of the teens, who are each 17, are charged with misdemeanor abuse of a corpse. A third, who is 16, is in the juvenile justice system.

Pizza-Flavored Beer? – Slashfood

Ok, I really need to know – does the idea of pizza-flavored beer really appeal to anyone out there? Honestly? One man in the Chicago area certainly seems to think so, and has been brewing up batches ever since. Apparently Tom Seefurth came up with the idea last year when he and his wife found themselves with an excess of garden tomatoes. As a brewing hobbyist, he decided to add the pizza flavors directly to his home-brew. His recipe includes not only a tomato garlic puree with garden fresh oregano, but he actually adds in real pieces of baked pizza during the brewing process. Now I love pizza and I love beer, but seriously – the two together? I’ll pass, thanks. What about you – would you try it?

Note to Olympians: Stay away from the deer penis and turtle blood – Game on – USATODAY.com

Maybe all the athletes who denied taking steroids were telling the truth. Maybe they were bulking up, and getting faster quick twitch muscles, from deer penis, turtle blood and caterpillar fungus. This report from Bloomberg.com says those substances are now on the list of banned drugs for Olympic athletes and that traditional Chinese medications may contain banned substances. In case you are wondering: deer penis is reported to increase blood flow and turtle blood boosts circulation.

Former Marine, 84, foils robbery attempt – Marine Corps News, news from Iraq – Marine Corps Times

An 84-year-old former Marine stopped a teenager brandishing a knife in a robbery attempt Wednesday with a kick to the groin, police said. The former Marine, whose name was not released, was walking on a Santa Rosa, Calif., sidewalk with a grocery bag in each arm when he was approached by the teen, said Sgt. Steve Bair of the Santa Rosa Police Department. The alleged incident occurred at 2 p.m. Bair said the teen, described as a white male about 15-16 years old, threatened the man, saying, “Old man, give me your wallet or I’ll cut you.” The former Marine responded by telling the teenager he had fought in three wars and faced knives and bayonets in the past, Bair said.

The Marine placed his grocery bags on the ground and said if the teen came any closer, he’d be sorry, police said. Bair said when the teen took a step toward the former Marine, the man kicked him in the groin. The leatherneck picked up his groceries, walked home and arrived at the police department 45 minutes later to report the attempted robbery, police said. The incident marks at least the second time in a year that an attempted robbery was foiled by a former Marine in his golden years. In June, Bill Barnes, 72, foiled a pickpocket attempt at a Grand Rapids, Mich., store, landing six or seven punches on a would-be thief, 28, before a store manager intervened. The thief, Jesse Rae, received a six-month jail sentence in January after pleading guilty to assault with intent to commit unarmed robbery.

Brawl breaks out at Chuck E Cheese in Flint Township -

FLINT TOWNSHIP — Police still aren’t sure exactly what sparked a brawl among 80 people Saturday night at Chuck E Cheese, 3489 Miller Road. The first call came in at 8:53 p.m. concerning a fight among three teenage girls at the pizza parlor. A Genesee County Sheriff’s paramedic and state troopers quickly got the fight under control, and canceled other officers headed that way to back them up. But a few minutes later, the officers sent out a second call as the fight erupted again, and quickly turned into “a knock-down, drag-out between 75 and 80 people,” said Flint Township police Sgt. Tim Jones. Police from around the county poured into the restaurant shortly after 9 p.m. trying to control the crowd. Officers from Burton, Swartz Creek and the townships of Mundy, Clayton and Flint assisted county and state police officers.

Pepper spray used to control the crowd may have added to the uproar. “The biggest thing we did was just try to control the crowd. Once pepper has been sprayed, it’s floating in the air so we called in for medical help in clearing it. If people aren’t used to pepper spray, they get pretty scared and angry,” said Jones. Jones said he didn’t believe anyone was injured during the mess. The restaurant was shut down at 9:45 p.m. The Genesee County Health Department allowed it to reopen about noon Sunday. The Journal was unable to reach anyone at the Sheriff’s Department to determine if any arrests had been made. On Sunday, it looked like it was going to happen again. A TV news crew was in the parking lot filming a segment on the previous night’s brawl when a family fight broke out among several women and escalated to a group of about 10 in the same family, said Jones. There were no arrests or injuries, and most of those involved in the fight were gone by the time police arrived. “Now and then we’ve had a few issues there, but not this kind of problem. Why all of a sudden it’s escalating there we have no idea,” said Jones. “But they do fall under the liquor license laws so the owners and operators of the place are going to have to be concerned if these fights continue.” An assistant manager at the restaurant declined to comment this morning. A check of the company’s state liquor license showed no history of violations.

Student arrested for ‘Fire Isiah’ tees

A 22-year-old college student was busted for trying to sell “Fire Isiah” T-shirts outside Madison Square Garden on Wednesday night.

Ivan Cash says he was hauled away in handcuffs, taken to the Midtown South Precinct, fingerprinted and held in a cell for three hours – until the Knicks lost to the Sacramento Kings, 107-97. Then he was given a ticket and released.

Cash was at 33rd St. and Seventh Ave., waiting for a pal who has a vendor’s license, when the cops swooped in, he said.

He was charged with “intent to sell.”

A police spokesman confirmed the arrest Wednesday night but had no details.

Cash said more than 100 frustrated Knicks fans had bought his T-shirts – at $20 a pop – at the last three Knicks home games.

The graphic design student at the State University of New York at Geneseo makes the shirts himself.

Around a photo of beleaguered Knicks coach Isiah Thomas, black lettering on the bright orange shirts delivers the message, “Don’t hate the player or the game. Hate the coach.”

“The police came up to me at every game before and asked me what I was doing,” said Cash. “I told them. They shrugged, and that was that.”

But not Wednesday night.

Cash figures the arrest was meant “to put a lid on all the demands by fans for a new coach.”

Popularity: unranked [?]