Remember the Good old days when you simply ran out and bought a frozen turkey, thawed it out, removed the giblets, washed it, stuffed it, cooked it, carved it, ate it, made sandwiches, made hash, and finally made soup? One bird provided a month of comestibles.
None of that is true anymore. We are a greener, more concerned nation now and that concern extends to turkeys and whether they live at least as well as we do. I have some close friends who are environmentalist so when I invited them for Thanksgiving dinner I knewthe turkey I served had to be...well, not only politically correct but since we have a Democrat in the White House it had to come from a Blue State.
I didn't think ther ewere any significant turkey farms in a state as blue as California. In fact I'm surprised people in blue states eat turkey at all because turkeys look so much like former New York Senator, Al D'Amato, and he was a Republican.
Also, because of my friends' strict adherence to environmental concerns I knew the turkey could not have been confined to a small space throughout all its stages of development.
Organic turkeys probably wouldn't have survived where I grew up. We were five boys who slept in our own confined small room. Four of us slept in two sets of bunk beds, while the oldest son got his own bed. Now I was challenged to find a turkey that did not have to share a bedroom, let alone sleep on the top bunk----and it had to be organic.
There is so much blather about things organic. I'm not sure what organic means so I looked it up: "raised or conducted without the use of drugs, hormones, or sythetic chemicals." OK. The turkey had to come from blue state but could never have lived in the Haight-Asbury section of SanFrancisco, or have attended a rock concert. Organic also means: "constituting an integral part of a whole; fundamental." Hmm. MaybeEsalen sells turkeys. Off I went to my Whole Politically Correct Food Store.
"I need an organic turkey," I said to the counterman, who wore a starched white apron, purple exam gloves and a hair net approved by OSHA.
"All of our turkeys are organic," he told me.
"Oh, and it has to be free-range."
He reached into the display case and came up with a bird wearing a Hazmat suit that was competely resistant to chemical permeation.
"He wasn't cooped up or anything like that, was he?" I asked.
"This bird came from a farm where it had its own free-rangeplay area. It spent much of the day swaying in a hammock being fed organic grapes byformer Peace Corps members."
"Do you know whether it lived according to "green" principles? And do you know if it was an indendent thinker?"
The meat dissector person was not surprised by my questions. He looked, furtively, in both directions, then leaned half way across the counter.
"Mister, not only did this bird have its own non-toxic Fisher-Price toys, but if turkeys had the right to vote this one would have cast a ballot for Ralph Nader.
"Was there a spirit of sensitivity at the turkey farm?"
"Even the roosters undergo sensitivity and anger management training."
"I need to know one more thing. How did it die?"
"Is all this gobbledygook really important?"
"It's important to my environmentally conscious friends who are all against the death penalty. They need to know that it had a humane ending."
He nodded that he understood. His compassion belied someone used to wrapping his hands around sweetbreads.
"Lethal injection."
"Really!"
"Yes, the turkeys think they are going to Eagle School and need to be sedated for the long trip to the Top Gun School at Miramar Naval Air Base."
"That is humane. But could he have escaped his fate?"
"Only with a word from the President."
"See gobbledygook is important."
Sunday, December 25, 2011
Saturday, December 24, 2011
Christmas Trivia
- "A Christmas Carol" was written by Charles Dickens in six weeks time.
- Alabama was the first state to officially recognize the Christmas holiday.
- Originally written for Thanksgiving, "JingleBells" became one of the most popular Christmas songs.
- You would receive 364 gifts if you received all of the gifts in "The Twelve Days of Christmas".
- Poinsettia plants are non-toxic, although many think they are. BUT holly berries ARE poisonous.
- Franklin Pierce was the first US President to decorate the White House Christmas tree.
- "It's a Wonderful Life" appears on TV more often than any other holiday movie.
- The earliest English collection of Christmas carols was published in 1521.
- The first letter of the word Christ in Greek is represented by our X. Therefore, the abbreviation of Xmas for Christmas is not irreligious.
- In England, the head of a pig prepared with mustard is the traditional Christmas dinner.
- "Black Friday" is NOT the busiest shopping day of the year....that is usually the Friday & Saturday before Christmas.
- "Bah Christmas" was the Charles Dickens original choice for Scrooge, not "Bah Humbug".
Don't let the holiday magic die
By Rachel Sieczkowski
Central Bucks South High School
Everyone needs some magic during the stresses of the holiday season.
You have to find the perfect gifts, deal with family and, on top of it all, you have to go to school right up tothe holiday! There's so much to fit into a single month that as we get older, we seem to let the magic and wonder that used to fill the holidays fade into a distant memory.
But why make the holidays something to suffer through instead of a time for love and happiness?
Do you remember staying up late, waiting to hear Santa up on the rooftop? I do. I also remember begging my dad to put out the fire before I went to sleep, just so he wouldn't forget and Santa wouldn't burn his butt coming down my chimney. Those littlle things made the holidays magical....
And then you start to realize that Santa Claus' wrapping paper and handwriting matches your parents. That, sometimes, the cookies aren't touched, the milk not drunk. You start noticing there are multiple Santas in the same place.
"Santa isn't real ----I'm Santa" are the words that my dad said. It was like "Star Wars" and "Dark Vader telling Luke, "I'm your father."
I still refuse to let the magic die for anyone else. My sister will believe in Santa for at least another year until she comes across the evidence on her own. I refuse to let my parents tell her.
And I make Santa's handwriting different than anyone else's in my family. We still sit down and write letters together each year, and the presents from "the workshop" are well hidden.
The holidays should always be magical, especially when you're young. It's part of childhood, believing in the Man in Red. Magic makes life wonderful.
So take a break from the real world and believe this holiday season.
Happy Holidays!
Central Bucks South High School
Everyone needs some magic during the stresses of the holiday season.
You have to find the perfect gifts, deal with family and, on top of it all, you have to go to school right up tothe holiday! There's so much to fit into a single month that as we get older, we seem to let the magic and wonder that used to fill the holidays fade into a distant memory.
But why make the holidays something to suffer through instead of a time for love and happiness?
Do you remember staying up late, waiting to hear Santa up on the rooftop? I do. I also remember begging my dad to put out the fire before I went to sleep, just so he wouldn't forget and Santa wouldn't burn his butt coming down my chimney. Those littlle things made the holidays magical....
And then you start to realize that Santa Claus' wrapping paper and handwriting matches your parents. That, sometimes, the cookies aren't touched, the milk not drunk. You start noticing there are multiple Santas in the same place.
"Santa isn't real ----I'm Santa" are the words that my dad said. It was like "Star Wars" and "Dark Vader telling Luke, "I'm your father."
I still refuse to let the magic die for anyone else. My sister will believe in Santa for at least another year until she comes across the evidence on her own. I refuse to let my parents tell her.
And I make Santa's handwriting different than anyone else's in my family. We still sit down and write letters together each year, and the presents from "the workshop" are well hidden.
The holidays should always be magical, especially when you're young. It's part of childhood, believing in the Man in Red. Magic makes life wonderful.
So take a break from the real world and believe this holiday season.
Happy Holidays!
No time for Christmas spirit? Say it isn't so
By Mallory Passione
Council Rock South High School
So, I hear Christmas is coming. As this hectic week comes to a close, my Taylor Swift calendar reminds me there are less than seven days until Christmas. "What? Since when?" Wheredid all the time go? I didn't get a chance to record my favorite Christmas specials! Between the massive amounts of schoolwork, a tiring track schedule and other school activities, it's as though I don't have time for Christmas.
With Christmas being the biggest and most popular holiday of the year, you would think it would be nearly impossible to avoid, but somehow I managed to do so.
As a junior in high school, school-related activities seem to be taking over my life. By the time I get home from track pratice and finish my homework, it's 11 o'clock and I'm exhausted. No time to bake festive cookies, no time to go to the mall and sit on Santa's lap and, most importantly, no time to enjoy ABC Family's "25 Days of Christmas."
It's sad, now that I think about it. Looking back to when you were a child, you counted down the days from Halloween to Christmas Eve. As a child, the only thing you worried about was hoping you got the coolest gifts from Santa.
Instead, I find myself worrying about the outcomes of my midterms, and their effect on my GPA. (Dear Santa, is there any chance we could cancel them this year?)
Midterms are to high school as fruitcakes are to Christmas. They are both difficult to swallow. Christmas is a time when you should be jolly and happy, just like the big guy----not stressing out.
Taking a step back and realizing how little how little I did this holiday season, I am going to try to do as much as possible to make up for the lack of festivities. I will be in the spirit of Christmas by Dec. 24 if it's the last thing I do!
That being said, I hope you all have a wonderful holiday season. May you enjoy good health and good friends in 2012.
Council Rock South High School
So, I hear Christmas is coming. As this hectic week comes to a close, my Taylor Swift calendar reminds me there are less than seven days until Christmas. "What? Since when?" Wheredid all the time go? I didn't get a chance to record my favorite Christmas specials! Between the massive amounts of schoolwork, a tiring track schedule and other school activities, it's as though I don't have time for Christmas.
With Christmas being the biggest and most popular holiday of the year, you would think it would be nearly impossible to avoid, but somehow I managed to do so.
As a junior in high school, school-related activities seem to be taking over my life. By the time I get home from track pratice and finish my homework, it's 11 o'clock and I'm exhausted. No time to bake festive cookies, no time to go to the mall and sit on Santa's lap and, most importantly, no time to enjoy ABC Family's "25 Days of Christmas."
It's sad, now that I think about it. Looking back to when you were a child, you counted down the days from Halloween to Christmas Eve. As a child, the only thing you worried about was hoping you got the coolest gifts from Santa.
Instead, I find myself worrying about the outcomes of my midterms, and their effect on my GPA. (Dear Santa, is there any chance we could cancel them this year?)
Midterms are to high school as fruitcakes are to Christmas. They are both difficult to swallow. Christmas is a time when you should be jolly and happy, just like the big guy----not stressing out.
Taking a step back and realizing how little how little I did this holiday season, I am going to try to do as much as possible to make up for the lack of festivities. I will be in the spirit of Christmas by Dec. 24 if it's the last thing I do!
That being said, I hope you all have a wonderful holiday season. May you enjoy good health and good friends in 2012.
The Seven Must-Do's of Christmas
By Kevin Weick
Council Rock South High School
Do watch 'A Christmas Story'
Starting on Christmas Eve, TBS plays the classic holiday movie "A Christmas Story" nonstop. Although a little outdated, this movie is a must-see for the entire family. I remember watching this movie over and over again on countless Christmas Eves while not being able to sleep and awaiting Santa's arrival. To this day, I watch the movie all night long, and over the years, I've grown so accustomed to it that I can even quote it.
Do drive around the neighborhood
This is the one time of year you shouldn't hesitate to take the long way home. Driving up and down streets, admiring the lights and decorations, is one of my favorite Christmas pastimes. Again, this is a tradition I still keep up with and look forward to year after year.
Do attend church services
Unfortunately, Santa Claus has taken over and it seems many people have forgotten the real importance of the Christmas season: celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ. No matter how often you go (or don't go), attending services should be crucial. Even if you haven't been there since Easter, make all possible effort to attend this year.
Do go out of your way for others
With all the last-minutepreparations and running around, it can be easy to forget about the merriment of the season. As you're scrambling around the grocery store or still picking out presents, remember to go the extra mile for people. Merely holding the door for someone, saying "please" and "thank you" or even just a smile can mean a lot to others. This is the time when everyone should be full of holiday cheer, so don't be stingy when it comes to spending it.
Do indulge in your favorite holiday treats
During Christmas, it is nearly impossible to diet..... so just go for it! If you want that extra delectable cookie your aunt makes or you can't resist another piece of cake, who cares? You have all year to work off the extra calories and pounds you've gained. As long as you're enjoying yourself, it's all right to indulge during the holidays.
Do make time for family
We all have relatives we don't like or we don't always get along with, but it's Christmas, so lighten up a bit. Take some time to make memories with those you love and with those who Christmas wouldn't be the same without. You never know what the New Year will bring and what next Christmas will be like, so enjoy it while it's here.
Do say 'Merry Christmas'
In the commercialized and politically correct world we live in today, it's frequent to hear simply "Happy Holidays." But before you utter that jovial greeting to a friend or neighbor, don't think twice about using the expression "Merry Christmas." Don't worry about offending anyone; it's being said in good spirits.
Council Rock South High School
Do watch 'A Christmas Story'
Starting on Christmas Eve, TBS plays the classic holiday movie "A Christmas Story" nonstop. Although a little outdated, this movie is a must-see for the entire family. I remember watching this movie over and over again on countless Christmas Eves while not being able to sleep and awaiting Santa's arrival. To this day, I watch the movie all night long, and over the years, I've grown so accustomed to it that I can even quote it.
Do drive around the neighborhood
This is the one time of year you shouldn't hesitate to take the long way home. Driving up and down streets, admiring the lights and decorations, is one of my favorite Christmas pastimes. Again, this is a tradition I still keep up with and look forward to year after year.
Do attend church services
Unfortunately, Santa Claus has taken over and it seems many people have forgotten the real importance of the Christmas season: celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ. No matter how often you go (or don't go), attending services should be crucial. Even if you haven't been there since Easter, make all possible effort to attend this year.
Do go out of your way for others
With all the last-minutepreparations and running around, it can be easy to forget about the merriment of the season. As you're scrambling around the grocery store or still picking out presents, remember to go the extra mile for people. Merely holding the door for someone, saying "please" and "thank you" or even just a smile can mean a lot to others. This is the time when everyone should be full of holiday cheer, so don't be stingy when it comes to spending it.
Do indulge in your favorite holiday treats
During Christmas, it is nearly impossible to diet..... so just go for it! If you want that extra delectable cookie your aunt makes or you can't resist another piece of cake, who cares? You have all year to work off the extra calories and pounds you've gained. As long as you're enjoying yourself, it's all right to indulge during the holidays.
Do make time for family
We all have relatives we don't like or we don't always get along with, but it's Christmas, so lighten up a bit. Take some time to make memories with those you love and with those who Christmas wouldn't be the same without. You never know what the New Year will bring and what next Christmas will be like, so enjoy it while it's here.
Do say 'Merry Christmas'
In the commercialized and politically correct world we live in today, it's frequent to hear simply "Happy Holidays." But before you utter that jovial greeting to a friend or neighbor, don't think twice about using the expression "Merry Christmas." Don't worry about offending anyone; it's being said in good spirits.
Friday, December 23, 2011
A New Earth?
NASA found a planet outside our solar system in just about the right spot for life.
A newly discovered planet is eerily similar to Earth and is sitting outside our solar system in what seems to be the ideal place for life, except for one hitch. It's a bit too big.
The planet is smack in the middle of what astronomers call the Goldilocks zone, that hard to find place that's not too hot, not too cold, where water, which is essential for life, doesn't freeze or boil. And it has a shopping mall-like surface temperature of near 72 degrees, scientists say.
The planet's confirmation was announced Monday by NASA along with other discoveries by its Kepler telescope, which was launched on a planet-hunting mission in 2009.
That's the first planet confirmed in the habitable zone for Kepler, which had already found Earth-like rocky planets elsewhere. Twice before astronomers have announced a planet found in that zone, but neither have been as promising.
"This is a phenomenal discovery in the course of human history," Geoff Marcy of University of California, Berkeley, one of the pioneers of planet-hunting outside our solar system, said in an email. "This discovery shows that we Homo sapiens are straining our reach into the universe to find planets that remind us of home. We are almost there."
The new planet ----- named Kepler-22b ----- has key aspects it shares with Earth. It circles a star that could be the twin of our sun and at just about the same distance. The planet's year of 290 days is even close to ours. It likely has water and rock.
The only trouble is the planet's a bit big for life to exist on the surface. The planet is about 2.4 times the size of Earth. It could be more like the gas-and-liquid Neptune with only a rocky core and mostly ocean.
A newly discovered planet is eerily similar to Earth and is sitting outside our solar system in what seems to be the ideal place for life, except for one hitch. It's a bit too big.
The planet is smack in the middle of what astronomers call the Goldilocks zone, that hard to find place that's not too hot, not too cold, where water, which is essential for life, doesn't freeze or boil. And it has a shopping mall-like surface temperature of near 72 degrees, scientists say.
The planet's confirmation was announced Monday by NASA along with other discoveries by its Kepler telescope, which was launched on a planet-hunting mission in 2009.
That's the first planet confirmed in the habitable zone for Kepler, which had already found Earth-like rocky planets elsewhere. Twice before astronomers have announced a planet found in that zone, but neither have been as promising.
"This is a phenomenal discovery in the course of human history," Geoff Marcy of University of California, Berkeley, one of the pioneers of planet-hunting outside our solar system, said in an email. "This discovery shows that we Homo sapiens are straining our reach into the universe to find planets that remind us of home. We are almost there."
The new planet ----- named Kepler-22b ----- has key aspects it shares with Earth. It circles a star that could be the twin of our sun and at just about the same distance. The planet's year of 290 days is even close to ours. It likely has water and rock.
The only trouble is the planet's a bit big for life to exist on the surface. The planet is about 2.4 times the size of Earth. It could be more like the gas-and-liquid Neptune with only a rocky core and mostly ocean.
Residents report Black Friday UFOs
Montgomery County malls were swamped with shoppers on Black Friday.
These shoppers were of the human variety, with no reports of extraterrestrials among them.
Still, there were three reports of unidentified flying objects reported to the county's emergency communications center that evening.
The first report came into a 911 dispatcher at 6:06 p.m. from a caller in Upper Moreland.
The caller told the dispatcher that he and other family members had spotted three "fireball like objects," about1 foot in diameter and about 300 feet off the ground, traveling slowly across the sky in a northerly direction.
Police responded but were unable to find anything similar.
At about 7:20 p.m., two calls came into the emergency call center from Lower Providence residents. Both callers reported seeing eight to 12 red or orange lights traveling in what appeared to be some type of formation at about 1,000 feet off the ground and moving slowly in a northerly direction.
Again, when police responded, thelights were gone.
Could the lights have been on television helicopters up in the air to get their obligatory shots of crowded mall parking lots?
"All of the callers reported that there was no sound in connection with the lights,' said county Communications Director John A. Corcoran on Thursday.
Could it have been Santa out on a practice run with his reindeer?
"I have no idea," responded Corcoran.
"No," he answered when asked whether the county went on high alert in response to the sightings.
The reports were passed on to the Federal Aviation Administration and to the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency, which receives all reports of "unusual events," according to Corcoran.
These shoppers were of the human variety, with no reports of extraterrestrials among them.
Still, there were three reports of unidentified flying objects reported to the county's emergency communications center that evening.
The first report came into a 911 dispatcher at 6:06 p.m. from a caller in Upper Moreland.
The caller told the dispatcher that he and other family members had spotted three "fireball like objects," about1 foot in diameter and about 300 feet off the ground, traveling slowly across the sky in a northerly direction.
Police responded but were unable to find anything similar.
At about 7:20 p.m., two calls came into the emergency call center from Lower Providence residents. Both callers reported seeing eight to 12 red or orange lights traveling in what appeared to be some type of formation at about 1,000 feet off the ground and moving slowly in a northerly direction.
Again, when police responded, thelights were gone.
Could the lights have been on television helicopters up in the air to get their obligatory shots of crowded mall parking lots?
"All of the callers reported that there was no sound in connection with the lights,' said county Communications Director John A. Corcoran on Thursday.
Could it have been Santa out on a practice run with his reindeer?
"I have no idea," responded Corcoran.
"No," he answered when asked whether the county went on high alert in response to the sightings.
The reports were passed on to the Federal Aviation Administration and to the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency, which receives all reports of "unusual events," according to Corcoran.
Why does Morton Salt use the girl under the umbrella logo?
This logo has been around for decades. One problem with ordinary table salt (sodium chloride) is that it usually contains trace amounts of magnesium cholride, which causes it to become damp and clump together in the shaker during periods of wet weather. This problem is overcome by adding small quantities of sodium silicoaluminate tothe salt.
The little girl walking in the rain has a box of Morton Salt under her arm that is pouring out very nicely, implying that "when it rains, it pours," if you are using Morton Salt.
The little girl walking in the rain has a box of Morton Salt under her arm that is pouring out very nicely, implying that "when it rains, it pours," if you are using Morton Salt.
POP QUIZ (2011 Year End)
How much do you remember about the year that was?
Test your knowledge with our quiz ----- no Googling allowed!
1. What iconic doll turned 50 in 2011?
a) Kirsten, an orignal American Girl doll
b) The Cabbage Patch kid
c) Barbie
d) Ken, Barbie's boyfriend
2. What milestone is estimated to have occured on Oct. 31?
a) The 50th major earthquake of the year struck
b) The world's population reached 7 billion
c) Oprah became the richest person ever
d) Facebook signed up its one billionth user
3. What fruit caused the deaths of 29 people this past fall?
a) Grapes
b) Bananas
c) Cantaloupes
d) Strawberries
4. Which lasted longest:
a) The final Atlantis space shuttle mission
b) The NBC series The Playboy Club
c) Kim Kardashian's marriage to Kris Humphries
d) The NFL lockout
5. What event happened in Pine Valley, Pa.?
a) Joe Paterno was fired as head coach of the Nittany Lions
b) The Susquehanna River overflowed its banks
c) More than 41 yearss of drama came to an end
6. During the Nov. 9 Republican debate, candidate Rick Perry said he would eliminate three government agencies----but was able to recall only two of them. Which one did he forget?
a) The Department of Health and Human Services
b) The Department of Labor
c) The Treasury Department
d) The Department of Energy
7. In January, Canadian 10-year-old Kathyrn Gray became the youngest person to do what?
a) Graduate from college
b) Discover a supernova
c) Sail around the world
8. What rock band announced they were calling it quits after 31 years?
a) Bon Jovi
b) Sonic Youth
c) Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band
d) R.E.M.
9. In October, Apple cofounder Steve Jobs passed away after a long battle with pancreatic cancer. All of these are his words, but which his last?
a) "Stay hungry, stay foolish."
b) "[I] want to put a ding in the universe."
c) "Oh, wow, Oh, wow, Oh, wow"
d) "Going tobed at night saying we've done something wonderful....that's what matters to me."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Answers : 1. d ; 2. b ; 3. c ; 4. d ; 5. c ; 6. d ; 7. b ; 8. d ; 9. c
Test your knowledge with our quiz ----- no Googling allowed!
1. What iconic doll turned 50 in 2011?
a) Kirsten, an orignal American Girl doll
b) The Cabbage Patch kid
c) Barbie
d) Ken, Barbie's boyfriend
2. What milestone is estimated to have occured on Oct. 31?
a) The 50th major earthquake of the year struck
b) The world's population reached 7 billion
c) Oprah became the richest person ever
d) Facebook signed up its one billionth user
3. What fruit caused the deaths of 29 people this past fall?
a) Grapes
b) Bananas
c) Cantaloupes
d) Strawberries
4. Which lasted longest:
a) The final Atlantis space shuttle mission
b) The NBC series The Playboy Club
c) Kim Kardashian's marriage to Kris Humphries
d) The NFL lockout
5. What event happened in Pine Valley, Pa.?
a) Joe Paterno was fired as head coach of the Nittany Lions
b) The Susquehanna River overflowed its banks
c) More than 41 yearss of drama came to an end
6. During the Nov. 9 Republican debate, candidate Rick Perry said he would eliminate three government agencies----but was able to recall only two of them. Which one did he forget?
a) The Department of Health and Human Services
b) The Department of Labor
c) The Treasury Department
d) The Department of Energy
7. In January, Canadian 10-year-old Kathyrn Gray became the youngest person to do what?
a) Graduate from college
b) Discover a supernova
c) Sail around the world
8. What rock band announced they were calling it quits after 31 years?
a) Bon Jovi
b) Sonic Youth
c) Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band
d) R.E.M.
9. In October, Apple cofounder Steve Jobs passed away after a long battle with pancreatic cancer. All of these are his words, but which his last?
a) "Stay hungry, stay foolish."
b) "[I] want to put a ding in the universe."
c) "Oh, wow, Oh, wow, Oh, wow"
d) "Going tobed at night saying we've done something wonderful....that's what matters to me."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Answers : 1. d ; 2. b ; 3. c ; 4. d ; 5. c ; 6. d ; 7. b ; 8. d ; 9. c
POP QUIZ (Christmas jingles)
Just in case you haven't had enough Christmas music so far this year, match the artist with the best-selling album.
1. Susan Boyle a) A Charlie Brown Christmas
2. Boyz II Men b) Christmas Eve and Other
3. Mariah Carey Stories
4. Bing Crosby c) Christmas in the Aire
5. John Denver d) Christmas Interpretations
6. Celine Dion e) Faith: A Holiday Album
7.Kenny G. f) The Gift
8. Mannheim Streamroller g) Merry Christmas
9. Trans-Siberian Orchestra h) Rocky Mountain Christmas
10. Vince Guaraldi Trio i) These Are Special Times
j) White Christma
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Answers : 1. f ; 2. d ; 3. g ; 4. j ; 5. h ; 6. i ; 7. e ; 8. c ; 9. b ; 10. a
1. Susan Boyle a) A Charlie Brown Christmas
2. Boyz II Men b) Christmas Eve and Other
3. Mariah Carey Stories
4. Bing Crosby c) Christmas in the Aire
5. John Denver d) Christmas Interpretations
6. Celine Dion e) Faith: A Holiday Album
7.Kenny G. f) The Gift
8. Mannheim Streamroller g) Merry Christmas
9. Trans-Siberian Orchestra h) Rocky Mountain Christmas
10. Vince Guaraldi Trio i) These Are Special Times
j) White Christma
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Answers : 1. f ; 2. d ; 3. g ; 4. j ; 5. h ; 6. i ; 7. e ; 8. c ; 9. b ; 10. a
POP QUIZ ( Talk, Talk, Talk, but what was said?)
By their quotes shall you know them. A quick quiz on some of the year's most interesting political statements.
Was 2011 wacky, or what? See what you remember, and no peeking at the answers!
1. Donald "The Donald" Trump, commander in chief of Celebrity Apprentice, said that if he ran against Barack Obama, "there's a good chanceI won't win." He said that he would be victimized by:
a) "A mystery president who was weaned on dirty tricks as a child in Kenya."
b) "Bloodsucking Politicians."
c) "A stupid, stupid cabal of wimps who wouldn't last a day in the casino business."
d) "Bloodsuckers and their celebrity acolytes, like Robert DeNiro, who's not the brightest bulb on the planet."
2. An Obama flip-flop, true or false: In 2010, he opposed anonymous campaign donations, but in 2011, he has stayed mum while his Democratic allies have taken anonymous campaign donations.
3. Rick Perry told Parade magazine, "Yes, ma'am, right in the shoulder." Which of these references is correct?
a) A flesh wound he received while flying an Air Force plane during the '70s.
b) A serious wound he inflicted when he shot a burglar with a .357 Magnum.
c) A fatal wound he inflicted on a coyote that he shot while jogging with a .380 Ruger.
d) A stab of pain he felt while trying to remember which federal agencies he wanted to kill.
4. Newt Gingrich told a Christian broadcasting network that his serial adulteries were:
a) "A lot more inexpensive than shopping at Tiffany's.
b) "A welcome break from worrying about the profound existential threat of Islamic fundamentalism."
c) "An inexcusable opportunity to not think about the science of cyber warfare."
d) "Partially driven by how passionately I felt about this country."
5. An Obama flip-flop, true or false: Even though his health-care-reform law requires Americans to buy health coverage, and even though his government lawyers are preparing to defend the concept in the U.S. SupremeCourt, he actually opposed the concept during the '08 campaign.
6. Tea Party darling Christine O'Donnell, who cost the GOP a winnable Senate seat last year in Delaware, has resurfaced with a ringing endorsement of Mitt Romney. Which statement is correct?
a) "He's been consistent since he changed his mind."
b) "I'm not a witch, and neither are his Mormons."
c) "He's as deeply knowledgeable about the Constitution as I am."
d) "I would tea-party with Mitt anytime."
e) All of the above, except b.
7. Someone stood at a lectern this year and said, "If you are looking for any deep explanation, I don't have one." Name the politician.
a) Congressman Christopher Lee, on his decision to send shirtless photos of his manly chest to a woman he'd met on Craiglist.
b) Sen. John Ensign, on his decision to sleep with an aide's wife and then have his dad pay $100,000 to the cuckolded aide.
c) Sen. Harry Reid, on his DOA proposal to ban prostitution in the libertine state of Nevada.
d) Congressman Anthony Weiner, on his decision to tweet photos of his crotch to women he'd never met.
Was 2011 wacky, or what? See what you remember, and no peeking at the answers!
1. Donald "The Donald" Trump, commander in chief of Celebrity Apprentice, said that if he ran against Barack Obama, "there's a good chanceI won't win." He said that he would be victimized by:
a) "A mystery president who was weaned on dirty tricks as a child in Kenya."
b) "Bloodsucking Politicians."
c) "A stupid, stupid cabal of wimps who wouldn't last a day in the casino business."
d) "Bloodsuckers and their celebrity acolytes, like Robert DeNiro, who's not the brightest bulb on the planet."
2. An Obama flip-flop, true or false: In 2010, he opposed anonymous campaign donations, but in 2011, he has stayed mum while his Democratic allies have taken anonymous campaign donations.
3. Rick Perry told Parade magazine, "Yes, ma'am, right in the shoulder." Which of these references is correct?
a) A flesh wound he received while flying an Air Force plane during the '70s.
b) A serious wound he inflicted when he shot a burglar with a .357 Magnum.
c) A fatal wound he inflicted on a coyote that he shot while jogging with a .380 Ruger.
d) A stab of pain he felt while trying to remember which federal agencies he wanted to kill.
4. Newt Gingrich told a Christian broadcasting network that his serial adulteries were:
a) "A lot more inexpensive than shopping at Tiffany's.
b) "A welcome break from worrying about the profound existential threat of Islamic fundamentalism."
c) "An inexcusable opportunity to not think about the science of cyber warfare."
d) "Partially driven by how passionately I felt about this country."
5. An Obama flip-flop, true or false: Even though his health-care-reform law requires Americans to buy health coverage, and even though his government lawyers are preparing to defend the concept in the U.S. SupremeCourt, he actually opposed the concept during the '08 campaign.
6. Tea Party darling Christine O'Donnell, who cost the GOP a winnable Senate seat last year in Delaware, has resurfaced with a ringing endorsement of Mitt Romney. Which statement is correct?
a) "He's been consistent since he changed his mind."
b) "I'm not a witch, and neither are his Mormons."
c) "He's as deeply knowledgeable about the Constitution as I am."
d) "I would tea-party with Mitt anytime."
e) All of the above, except b.
7. Someone stood at a lectern this year and said, "If you are looking for any deep explanation, I don't have one." Name the politician.
a) Congressman Christopher Lee, on his decision to send shirtless photos of his manly chest to a woman he'd met on Craiglist.
b) Sen. John Ensign, on his decision to sleep with an aide's wife and then have his dad pay $100,000 to the cuckolded aide.
c) Sen. Harry Reid, on his DOA proposal to ban prostitution in the libertine state of Nevada.
d) Congressman Anthony Weiner, on his decision to tweet photos of his crotch to women he'd never met.
Thursday, December 22, 2011
POP QUIZ (A tough nut to crack)
The weekend of Dec. 11th, the Pennsylvania Ballet began its annual run of The Nutcracker.
See what you know about this holiday favorite.
1. The original version of The Nutcracker was presented in this city.
a) Paris
b) Moscow
c) London
d) St. Petersburg
2. The ballet is based on the story "The Nutcracker and the King of Mice" by this author.
a) Anton Chekhov
b) J.M. Barrie
c) E.T.A. Hoffman
d) E.T. Fone Home
3. Who composed the ballet's score?
a) Pyotr Ilich Tchaikovsky
b) Amadeus Mozart
c) Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky
d) Eugene Ormandy
4. What year did the Pennsylvania Ballet start presenting The Nutcracker?
a) 1962
b) 1968
c) 1974
d) 1980
5. The ballet adopted choreographer's full-length version of The Nutcracker, and has performed it since, in 1987.
a) Peter Ballantine
b) Isadora Duncan
c) Alexander Godunov
d) George Balanchine
6. The ballet opens with guests arriving at the home of this family.
a) Drosselmeiers
b) Stahlbaums
c) Polichinelles
d) Maripans
7. This young lad breaks the nutcracker.
a) Hans
b) Klaus
c) Fritz
d) Frederick
8. How many heads does the Mouse King have?
a) Three
b) Five
c) Seven
d) Nine
9. After the battle with the mice, the nutcracker is transformed into this character.
a) The Cavalier
b) Godfather Drosselmeier
c) Sugarplum Fairy
d) The Prince
10. Act 2 takes place here.
a) Land of the Sweets
b) Land of Milk and Honey
c) Lands' End
d) Land of Goshen
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Answers : 1. d ; 2. c ; 3. a ; 4. b ; 5. d ; 6. b ; 7. c ; 8. c ; 9. d ; 10. a
See what you know about this holiday favorite.
1. The original version of The Nutcracker was presented in this city.
a) Paris
b) Moscow
c) London
d) St. Petersburg
2. The ballet is based on the story "The Nutcracker and the King of Mice" by this author.
a) Anton Chekhov
b) J.M. Barrie
c) E.T.A. Hoffman
d) E.T. Fone Home
3. Who composed the ballet's score?
a) Pyotr Ilich Tchaikovsky
b) Amadeus Mozart
c) Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky
d) Eugene Ormandy
4. What year did the Pennsylvania Ballet start presenting The Nutcracker?
a) 1962
b) 1968
c) 1974
d) 1980
5. The ballet adopted choreographer's full-length version of The Nutcracker, and has performed it since, in 1987.
a) Peter Ballantine
b) Isadora Duncan
c) Alexander Godunov
d) George Balanchine
6. The ballet opens with guests arriving at the home of this family.
a) Drosselmeiers
b) Stahlbaums
c) Polichinelles
d) Maripans
7. This young lad breaks the nutcracker.
a) Hans
b) Klaus
c) Fritz
d) Frederick
8. How many heads does the Mouse King have?
a) Three
b) Five
c) Seven
d) Nine
9. After the battle with the mice, the nutcracker is transformed into this character.
a) The Cavalier
b) Godfather Drosselmeier
c) Sugarplum Fairy
d) The Prince
10. Act 2 takes place here.
a) Land of the Sweets
b) Land of Milk and Honey
c) Lands' End
d) Land of Goshen
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Answers : 1. d ; 2. c ; 3. a ; 4. b ; 5. d ; 6. b ; 7. c ; 8. c ; 9. d ; 10. a
POP QUIZ (Christmas chestnuts)
If you do well on today's quiz ----- matching the lines with the Christmas TV special or movie ----- then you can watch something unrelated to the holiday. If you don't do well, perhaps you need more time checking out the classics.
1. "Hey, Buddy, wanna pick some snowberries?"
2. "Open holidays only? Say, how many of them are there?"
3. "What has Beethoven got to do with Christmas?"
4. "Blast this Christmas music. It's joyful and triumphant."
5. "We're your worst nightmare: Elves with attitude."
6. "This fog's as thick as peanut butter!"
7. "I will honor Christmas, and try to keep it all the year!"
8. "Oh, he's a sick man. Frustrated and sick. Sick in his his mind, sick in his soul, if he has one."
9. "My father worked in profanity the way other artists might work in oils or clay."
10. "Though I've grown old the bell still rings for me, as it does for all who truly believe."
a) A Charlie Brown Christmas
b) A Christmas Story
c) Elf
d) Holiday Inn
e) How the Grinch Stole Christmas
f) It's a Wonderful Life
g) The Muppet Christmas Carol
h) The Polar Express
i) Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer
j) The Santa Clause
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Answers : 1. c ; 2. d ; 3. a ; 4. e ; 5. j ; 6. i ; 7. g ; 8. f ; 9. b ; 10. h
1. "Hey, Buddy, wanna pick some snowberries?"
2. "Open holidays only? Say, how many of them are there?"
3. "What has Beethoven got to do with Christmas?"
4. "Blast this Christmas music. It's joyful and triumphant."
5. "We're your worst nightmare: Elves with attitude."
6. "This fog's as thick as peanut butter!"
7. "I will honor Christmas, and try to keep it all the year!"
8. "Oh, he's a sick man. Frustrated and sick. Sick in his his mind, sick in his soul, if he has one."
9. "My father worked in profanity the way other artists might work in oils or clay."
10. "Though I've grown old the bell still rings for me, as it does for all who truly believe."
a) A Charlie Brown Christmas
b) A Christmas Story
c) Elf
d) Holiday Inn
e) How the Grinch Stole Christmas
f) It's a Wonderful Life
g) The Muppet Christmas Carol
h) The Polar Express
i) Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer
j) The Santa Clause
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Answers : 1. c ; 2. d ; 3. a ; 4. e ; 5. j ; 6. i ; 7. g ; 8. f ; 9. b ; 10. h
POP QUIZ (Moving on up to Number One)
Thirty-eight years ago on Nov. 27th, the U.S. Senate voted, 92-3, to confirm Gerald R. Ford as the 40th vice president of the United States. A House vote on Dec. 6, 387-35, would seal the deal.
Match the list of Ford's fellow veeps who became president with the chief executive they served as No. 2.
1. John Adams a) John Adams
2. Chester A. Arthur b) James Garfield
3. George H.W. Bush c) Dwight Eisenhower
4. Calvin Coolidge d) Warren Harding
5. Millard Fillmore e) William H. Harrison
6. Thomas Jefferson f) Andrew Jackson
7. Andrew Johnson g) John F. Kennedy
8. Lyndon B. Johnson h) Abraham Lincoln
9. Richard M. Nixon i) William McKinley
10. Theodore Roosevelt j) Ronald Reagan
11. Harry S. Truman k) Franklin D. Roosevelt
12. John Tyler l) Zachary Taylor
13. Martin Van Buren m) George Washington
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Answers : 1. m ; 2. b ; 3. j ; 4. d ; 5. l ; 6. a ; 7. h ; 8. g ; 9. c ; 10. i ; 11. k ; 12. e ; 13. f
Match the list of Ford's fellow veeps who became president with the chief executive they served as No. 2.
1. John Adams a) John Adams
2. Chester A. Arthur b) James Garfield
3. George H.W. Bush c) Dwight Eisenhower
4. Calvin Coolidge d) Warren Harding
5. Millard Fillmore e) William H. Harrison
6. Thomas Jefferson f) Andrew Jackson
7. Andrew Johnson g) John F. Kennedy
8. Lyndon B. Johnson h) Abraham Lincoln
9. Richard M. Nixon i) William McKinley
10. Theodore Roosevelt j) Ronald Reagan
11. Harry S. Truman k) Franklin D. Roosevelt
12. John Tyler l) Zachary Taylor
13. Martin Van Buren m) George Washington
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Answers : 1. m ; 2. b ; 3. j ; 4. d ; 5. l ; 6. a ; 7. h ; 8. g ; 9. c ; 10. i ; 11. k ; 12. e ; 13. f
POP QUIZ (COUNTING THE CANDLES)
Time for another round of birthdays of the famous and infamous.
Match the name with the birth year of today's celebrators.
1. Guitarist Duane Allman a) 1947
2. Vice President Biden b) 1923
3. Ambassador John Bolton c) 1925
4. UB40 drummer James Brown d) 1927
5. Actress Estelle Parsons e) 1939
6. Actress Bo Derek f) 1942
7. Beastie Boy Mike Diamond g) 1943
8. Flyer Yanick Dupre h) 1946
9. Author Nadine Gordimer i) 1948
10. Actress Veronica Hamel j) 1956
11. U.S. Sen. Robert F. Kennedy k) 1957
12. Actress Ming-Na l) 1965
13. Comedian Dick Smothers m) 1963
14. Eagles guitarist Joe Walsh n) 1972
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Answers : 1. h ; 2. f ; 3. i ; 4. k ; 5. d ; 6. j ; 7. l ; 8. n ; 9. b ; 10. g ; 11. c ; 12. m ; 13. e ; 14. a
Match the name with the birth year of today's celebrators.
1. Guitarist Duane Allman a) 1947
2. Vice President Biden b) 1923
3. Ambassador John Bolton c) 1925
4. UB40 drummer James Brown d) 1927
5. Actress Estelle Parsons e) 1939
6. Actress Bo Derek f) 1942
7. Beastie Boy Mike Diamond g) 1943
8. Flyer Yanick Dupre h) 1946
9. Author Nadine Gordimer i) 1948
10. Actress Veronica Hamel j) 1956
11. U.S. Sen. Robert F. Kennedy k) 1957
12. Actress Ming-Na l) 1965
13. Comedian Dick Smothers m) 1963
14. Eagles guitarist Joe Walsh n) 1972
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Answers : 1. h ; 2. f ; 3. i ; 4. k ; 5. d ; 6. j ; 7. l ; 8. n ; 9. b ; 10. g ; 11. c ; 12. m ; 13. e ; 14. a
Waiting for Congress, Obama takes dog Bo shopping
With his wife and daughters already in Hawaii for the holidays, President Barack Obama took his dog Bo shopping on Wednesday as he waited for congressional leaders to mop up a payroll tax mess that has kept him in Washington.
Obama travelled with Bo, and an entourage of aides, Secret Service agents, doctors and reporters, to a Northern Virginia strip mall to buy treats for the three-year-old Portuguese Water Dog featured on the White House holiday cards this year.
Bo accompanied him to PetSmart, where the dog made friends with a brown poodle named Cinnamon.
"Okay, Bo, don't get too personal here," Obama told the dog. He deposited Bo in the car before stopping by Best Buy for Apple gift cards and Nintendo Wii video games for his daughters, including "The Sims 3: Pets" and "Just Dance 3."
"The girls beat me every time on these dance games," he told reporters, joking that he would never let his picture get taken while dancing.
His total came to just under $200, and he told the cashier: "Let's see if my credit card still works," which it did.
The next stop was at Del Ray Pizzeria in Alexandria, Va., where the president bought three pizza pies. He shook hands with supporters to shouts of "I love you, President Obama," although a 50-year-old man said he disagreed with the Obama administration's decision to delay approval of the Keystone XL pipeline, which would transport oilsands crude from the western Canadian province of Alberta to Texas.
Michelle, Sasha and Malia Obama left for Hawaii on Friday and the president has delayed his trip to join them as a result of a political impasse over extending payroll tax cuts that are set to expire December 31.
He called Republican House Speaker John Boehner earlier on Wednesday to urge him to accept a two-month extension as a step towards a full-year deal, to be negotiated in early 2012.
White House spokesman Jay Carney, asked about the shopping excursion, said the president had been very busy ahead of the trip. "Sometimes it's nice to get out of the house," he said.
Obama travelled with Bo, and an entourage of aides, Secret Service agents, doctors and reporters, to a Northern Virginia strip mall to buy treats for the three-year-old Portuguese Water Dog featured on the White House holiday cards this year.
Bo accompanied him to PetSmart, where the dog made friends with a brown poodle named Cinnamon.
"Okay, Bo, don't get too personal here," Obama told the dog. He deposited Bo in the car before stopping by Best Buy for Apple gift cards and Nintendo Wii video games for his daughters, including "The Sims 3: Pets" and "Just Dance 3."
"The girls beat me every time on these dance games," he told reporters, joking that he would never let his picture get taken while dancing.
His total came to just under $200, and he told the cashier: "Let's see if my credit card still works," which it did.
The next stop was at Del Ray Pizzeria in Alexandria, Va., where the president bought three pizza pies. He shook hands with supporters to shouts of "I love you, President Obama," although a 50-year-old man said he disagreed with the Obama administration's decision to delay approval of the Keystone XL pipeline, which would transport oilsands crude from the western Canadian province of Alberta to Texas.
Michelle, Sasha and Malia Obama left for Hawaii on Friday and the president has delayed his trip to join them as a result of a political impasse over extending payroll tax cuts that are set to expire December 31.
He called Republican House Speaker John Boehner earlier on Wednesday to urge him to accept a two-month extension as a step towards a full-year deal, to be negotiated in early 2012.
White House spokesman Jay Carney, asked about the shopping excursion, said the president had been very busy ahead of the trip. "Sometimes it's nice to get out of the house," he said.
Hungary tech firm immortalizes Steve Jobs in bronze
A Hungarian software company unveiled what it said was the world's first bronze statue of Apple Inc co-founder Steve Jobs Wednesday, calling him one of the greatest personalities of the modern age. Jobs died on October 5 of pancreatic cancer at the age of 56.
The bronze work by sculptor Erno Toth stands in the Budapest campus of architectural software maker Graphisoft.
"He was one of the greatest (personalities) in our era, that's what we wanted to express with this sculpture here," Graphisoft Chairman Gabor Bojar told Reuters.
Bojar said Jobs gave cash and computers to Graphisoft, helping it to become a global leader in architecture software from humble roots as a tiny firm in the 1980s in then-communist Hungary.
"In some ways, Apple was a religion," Bojar said at the unveiling ceremony, comparing the experts from Cupertino-based Apple who helped educate Graphisoft's engineers to evangelists.
Steve Jobs represented a technological revolution which can be compared only to the discovery of writing, Bojar said.
"We have felt his spirit every day and now it is embodied," he said. "We hope that we can deserve with our entrepreneurial culture in Hungary what this sculpture expresses as a message."
The bronze work by sculptor Erno Toth stands in the Budapest campus of architectural software maker Graphisoft.
"He was one of the greatest (personalities) in our era, that's what we wanted to express with this sculpture here," Graphisoft Chairman Gabor Bojar told Reuters.
Bojar said Jobs gave cash and computers to Graphisoft, helping it to become a global leader in architecture software from humble roots as a tiny firm in the 1980s in then-communist Hungary.
"In some ways, Apple was a religion," Bojar said at the unveiling ceremony, comparing the experts from Cupertino-based Apple who helped educate Graphisoft's engineers to evangelists.
Steve Jobs represented a technological revolution which can be compared only to the discovery of writing, Bojar said.
"We have felt his spirit every day and now it is embodied," he said. "We hope that we can deserve with our entrepreneurial culture in Hungary what this sculpture expresses as a message."
Mystery buyer acquires vatican.xxx web address
The Vatican said on Wednesday an unknown buyer had snapped up the internet address vatican.xxx, a domain combining its name with an extension reserved for pornographic content.
"This domain is not available because it has been acquired by someone else, but not the Vatican," Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi said on Vatican radio.
It was not clear from his statement if the Vatican had tried to acquire the domain in order to prevent future misuse and had been beaten to the punch by the unknown buyer.
Lombardi denied Italian media reports that the Vatican had, like many other organizations including companies, universities and museums, registered the xxx domain to prevent its misuse.
The xxx domains are being launched this month for pornographic content and many organizations have preemptively acquired them so others cannot.
"This domain is not available because it has been acquired by someone else, but not the Vatican," Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi said on Vatican radio.
It was not clear from his statement if the Vatican had tried to acquire the domain in order to prevent future misuse and had been beaten to the punch by the unknown buyer.
Lombardi denied Italian media reports that the Vatican had, like many other organizations including companies, universities and museums, registered the xxx domain to prevent its misuse.
The xxx domains are being launched this month for pornographic content and many organizations have preemptively acquired them so others cannot.
Mystery buyer acquires vatican.xxx web address
The Vatican said on Wednesday an unknown buyer had snapped up the internet address vatican.xxx, a domain combining its name with an extension reserved for pornographic content.
"This domain is not available because it has been acquired by someone else, but not the Vatican," Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi said on Vatican radio.
It was not clear from his statement if the Vatican had tried to acquire the domain in order to prevent future misuse and had been beaten to the punch by the unknown buyer.
Lombardi denied Italian media reports that the Vatican had, like many other organizations including companies, universities and museums, registered the xxx domain to prevent its misuse.
The xxx domains are being launched this month for pornographic content and many organizations have preemptively acquired them so others cannot.
"This domain is not available because it has been acquired by someone else, but not the Vatican," Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi said on Vatican radio.
It was not clear from his statement if the Vatican had tried to acquire the domain in order to prevent future misuse and had been beaten to the punch by the unknown buyer.
Lombardi denied Italian media reports that the Vatican had, like many other organizations including companies, universities and museums, registered the xxx domain to prevent its misuse.
The xxx domains are being launched this month for pornographic content and many organizations have preemptively acquired them so others cannot.
Florida town seeks nudist vacationers from Europe
A west Florida community is spending $3,800 in tax dollars to entice naked Germans to spend their summer vacations there.
The advertising grant was awarded Tuesday by the Pasco County commission to Pandabare, a local nudist organization representing 16 resorts, campgrounds and clubs located in the largely rural county north of Tampa.
The ads, to be placed in European publications, will promote the county's longstanding reputation as the nudist capital of America.
"The idea is to create a Euro-bird season in July and August which are our worst two months of the year," said Eric Keaton, public communications manager for the Pasco County tourist development agency. Keaton said nudism contributes to the county's economy, but he had no figures to quantify its impact.
The first target market for the ad campaign will be Germany which, according to Pandabare's application, is "a large and lucrative market whose millions of nudists are among the world's most prolific travelers." The group also anticipates a campaign aimed at British nudists.
Keaton said the advertisements, set to launch in 2012, remain in the conceptual stage.
"They are very clean, and somewhat funny," he said.
The advertising grant was awarded Tuesday by the Pasco County commission to Pandabare, a local nudist organization representing 16 resorts, campgrounds and clubs located in the largely rural county north of Tampa.
The ads, to be placed in European publications, will promote the county's longstanding reputation as the nudist capital of America.
"The idea is to create a Euro-bird season in July and August which are our worst two months of the year," said Eric Keaton, public communications manager for the Pasco County tourist development agency. Keaton said nudism contributes to the county's economy, but he had no figures to quantify its impact.
The first target market for the ad campaign will be Germany which, according to Pandabare's application, is "a large and lucrative market whose millions of nudists are among the world's most prolific travelers." The group also anticipates a campaign aimed at British nudists.
Keaton said the advertisements, set to launch in 2012, remain in the conceptual stage.
"They are very clean, and somewhat funny," he said.
Canadian charity throws doomed bunnies a lifeline
A Canadian charity, appropriately named EARS, is offering to help a Rocky Mountain town deal with its bunny problem, promising to neuter and spay the unwanted rabbits rather than let the city carry out its trap-and-cull proposal.
The estimated 2,000 rabbits of Canmore, Alberta, are the black, white and brown descendents of pets released into the wild. "They are not a native wildlife species," the city said sternly in a news release on Wednesday.
Under the new proposal, which has yet to be finalized, Earthanimal Humane Education and Rescue Society (EARS) would trap and spay or neuter the feral rabbits, and then provide a sanctuary for them to live out their lives.
"EARS has brought us a sound proposal and we are looking forward to working with them," Canmore Mayor Ron Casey said in a statement. "We want to make sure that any transfer of rabbits is done responsibly. We can't have our problem become someone else's."
Canmore had wanted to trap and kill the feral rabbits, prompting protests from animal rights groups.
The estimated 2,000 rabbits of Canmore, Alberta, are the black, white and brown descendents of pets released into the wild. "They are not a native wildlife species," the city said sternly in a news release on Wednesday.
Under the new proposal, which has yet to be finalized, Earthanimal Humane Education and Rescue Society (EARS) would trap and spay or neuter the feral rabbits, and then provide a sanctuary for them to live out their lives.
"EARS has brought us a sound proposal and we are looking forward to working with them," Canmore Mayor Ron Casey said in a statement. "We want to make sure that any transfer of rabbits is done responsibly. We can't have our problem become someone else's."
Canmore had wanted to trap and kill the feral rabbits, prompting protests from animal rights groups.
Portugal police boss suspended for saucy X-mas email
A Portuguese city suspended its police chief for sending a Christmas email greeting to its entire municipal workforce which contained images of scantily clad women and seasonal wishes for a great sex life.
Euclides Santos, police chief in the central Portuguese city of Coimbra, accidentally emailed his colleagues a powerpoint presentation which wished them a merry Christmas and then displayed several women wearing lingerie and bikinis.
"Enough with insincere and useless words. What I wish you from the bottom of my heart, is that you have incredible sexual relations, live a merry and happy life, work hard and get well paid," read one of the final slides of the presentation shown on Portuguese television.
Coimbra's town hall employs around 1,500 people.
Moments later, Euclides messaged his work colleagues again, apologizing and warning that "there was an error in the attachment" but it was too late.
"After receiving a message containing content inconsistent with the prestige of this town hall in the municipal email box, an address to which all municipal employees have access to, the mayor has decided to initiate disciplinary proceedings," the Coimbra municipality wrote in a statement.
City mayor Joao Barbosa de Melo believes that, because the 25-page document was sent during work hours and from the policeman's work email that Euclides should lose his job, according to local press.
Euclides Santos, police chief in the central Portuguese city of Coimbra, accidentally emailed his colleagues a powerpoint presentation which wished them a merry Christmas and then displayed several women wearing lingerie and bikinis.
"Enough with insincere and useless words. What I wish you from the bottom of my heart, is that you have incredible sexual relations, live a merry and happy life, work hard and get well paid," read one of the final slides of the presentation shown on Portuguese television.
Coimbra's town hall employs around 1,500 people.
Moments later, Euclides messaged his work colleagues again, apologizing and warning that "there was an error in the attachment" but it was too late.
"After receiving a message containing content inconsistent with the prestige of this town hall in the municipal email box, an address to which all municipal employees have access to, the mayor has decided to initiate disciplinary proceedings," the Coimbra municipality wrote in a statement.
City mayor Joao Barbosa de Melo believes that, because the 25-page document was sent during work hours and from the policeman's work email that Euclides should lose his job, according to local press.
California sperm donor at odds with federal regulators
An electronics company engineer who the U.S. government considers a one-man sperm bank has fathered an estimated 14 children through free donations of his semen that he advertises over the Internet.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration says the San Francisco Bay-area sperm donor poses a threat to public health and has ordered him to stop or face up to a year in prison and a $100,000 fine.
But Trent Arsenault, a healthy, 36-year-old bachelor who professes a strong religious upbringing, sees his sperm giveaways as acts of compassion and insists he's not abandoning his genetic generosity without a fight.
"Whatever happens with me sets a precedent, which could mean a lot of childless couples," he told Reuters on Monday. "Does the government need to be in people's bedrooms?"
He and the FDA are now embroiled in what is believed to be the first legal battle of its kind, one that has drawn national media attention and could test the limits of the agency's authority to regulate private donations of sperm offered as gifts directly to prospective mothers rather than through commercial sperm banks.
Such donations, often provided by men who are close friends of the recipients, have grown more frequent as single women, lesbian partners and heterosexual couples with fertility problems increasingly turn to alternative sources for artificial insemination.
Arsenault's prolific willingness to share his genetic material, which he promotes on a website touting his fitness as a donor, caught the scrutiny of the FDA.
PROLIFIC DONOR
During the past five years, he has given his sperm on more than 328 occasions to at least 46 women, resulting in 14 births, according to the FDA's best estimates from documentation Arsenault himself provided. This, the agency maintains, poses a risk to public health.
"Under FDA's regulations, sperm donors are required to be screened for risk factors that may increase the chances of transmitting a communicable disease," FDA spokesperson Rita Chappelle explained in an email.
Sperm banks must comply with precise requirements that include a battery of tests to ensure that the donated sperm does not carry human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B or C, syphilis, chlamydia, gonorrhea, human T-lymphotropic virus, cytomegalovirus or various genetic disorders.
Arsenault gets himself screened every six months for that entire list of diseases but cannot afford the specific FDA-approved tests he is supposed to undergo within seven days of each sperm donation, at a cost of $1,700, he said.
The stringent, costly testing regimen is the main reason sperm banks charge hundreds of dollars for their services, says Sherron Mills, executive director of the Pacific Reproductive Services in San Francisco.
Rates there range from $425 to $600 or more per insemination, and any woman who finds such a sum too onerous to pay is probably unable to afford routine costs associated with being a parent, Mills said. "Once you have kids, it costs every bit as much every month," she said.
INSPECTORS AT THE DOOR
FDA regulators paid four visits last year to Arsenault's home in Fremont, California, a few miles east of San Francisco, to inspect what they regarded as his sperm-bank operation there, even though he only provides his own semen and does not charge for his services.
The FDA's inquiry culminated last fall with one final visit by agency officials to his home, accompanied by police, to hand-deliver the cease-and-desist order.
Chappelle declined to say whether the agency is investigating any other freelance sperm donors, many of whom advertise their services on the Internet. But Arsenault has retained a lawyer who is handling his court challenge.
Pending the outcome of the case, the FDA has refrained from enforcing its order, and Arsenault said he has continued to donate sperm.
Besides providing greater health safeguards, Mills said, sperm banks offer their customers stronger legal protection from donors who might try to assert their paternity rights after a child is born.
Arsenault signs forms waiving any parental rights. But Mills said such agreements have been voided in some California cases when a medical doctor was absent from the transaction.
Eleanor Nicoll, spokeswoman for the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, said the involvement of a physician is beneficial in and of itself. "If you're trying to address a medical problem, you should seek medical treatment," she said.
But Arsenault argues that outlawing the kind of free service he provides runs the risk of driving some women to seek sperm donations from more questionable sources.
"If you shut out the sperm donors, they are going to have to meet some bar dude," he said. "Spouses would have to cheat on each other."
Arsenault said he gets to know couples before donating to them and maintains relationships with many of the children conceived with his sperm, one reason he doesn't want to stop.
"I have made a commitment to families I donated to," he said. "It's a big emotional process to partner with a donor."
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration says the San Francisco Bay-area sperm donor poses a threat to public health and has ordered him to stop or face up to a year in prison and a $100,000 fine.
But Trent Arsenault, a healthy, 36-year-old bachelor who professes a strong religious upbringing, sees his sperm giveaways as acts of compassion and insists he's not abandoning his genetic generosity without a fight.
"Whatever happens with me sets a precedent, which could mean a lot of childless couples," he told Reuters on Monday. "Does the government need to be in people's bedrooms?"
He and the FDA are now embroiled in what is believed to be the first legal battle of its kind, one that has drawn national media attention and could test the limits of the agency's authority to regulate private donations of sperm offered as gifts directly to prospective mothers rather than through commercial sperm banks.
Such donations, often provided by men who are close friends of the recipients, have grown more frequent as single women, lesbian partners and heterosexual couples with fertility problems increasingly turn to alternative sources for artificial insemination.
Arsenault's prolific willingness to share his genetic material, which he promotes on a website touting his fitness as a donor, caught the scrutiny of the FDA.
PROLIFIC DONOR
During the past five years, he has given his sperm on more than 328 occasions to at least 46 women, resulting in 14 births, according to the FDA's best estimates from documentation Arsenault himself provided. This, the agency maintains, poses a risk to public health.
"Under FDA's regulations, sperm donors are required to be screened for risk factors that may increase the chances of transmitting a communicable disease," FDA spokesperson Rita Chappelle explained in an email.
Sperm banks must comply with precise requirements that include a battery of tests to ensure that the donated sperm does not carry human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B or C, syphilis, chlamydia, gonorrhea, human T-lymphotropic virus, cytomegalovirus or various genetic disorders.
Arsenault gets himself screened every six months for that entire list of diseases but cannot afford the specific FDA-approved tests he is supposed to undergo within seven days of each sperm donation, at a cost of $1,700, he said.
The stringent, costly testing regimen is the main reason sperm banks charge hundreds of dollars for their services, says Sherron Mills, executive director of the Pacific Reproductive Services in San Francisco.
Rates there range from $425 to $600 or more per insemination, and any woman who finds such a sum too onerous to pay is probably unable to afford routine costs associated with being a parent, Mills said. "Once you have kids, it costs every bit as much every month," she said.
INSPECTORS AT THE DOOR
FDA regulators paid four visits last year to Arsenault's home in Fremont, California, a few miles east of San Francisco, to inspect what they regarded as his sperm-bank operation there, even though he only provides his own semen and does not charge for his services.
The FDA's inquiry culminated last fall with one final visit by agency officials to his home, accompanied by police, to hand-deliver the cease-and-desist order.
Chappelle declined to say whether the agency is investigating any other freelance sperm donors, many of whom advertise their services on the Internet. But Arsenault has retained a lawyer who is handling his court challenge.
Pending the outcome of the case, the FDA has refrained from enforcing its order, and Arsenault said he has continued to donate sperm.
Besides providing greater health safeguards, Mills said, sperm banks offer their customers stronger legal protection from donors who might try to assert their paternity rights after a child is born.
Arsenault signs forms waiving any parental rights. But Mills said such agreements have been voided in some California cases when a medical doctor was absent from the transaction.
Eleanor Nicoll, spokeswoman for the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, said the involvement of a physician is beneficial in and of itself. "If you're trying to address a medical problem, you should seek medical treatment," she said.
But Arsenault argues that outlawing the kind of free service he provides runs the risk of driving some women to seek sperm donations from more questionable sources.
"If you shut out the sperm donors, they are going to have to meet some bar dude," he said. "Spouses would have to cheat on each other."
Arsenault said he gets to know couples before donating to them and maintains relationships with many of the children conceived with his sperm, one reason he doesn't want to stop.
"I have made a commitment to families I donated to," he said. "It's a big emotional process to partner with a donor."
Disgraced duke's figure moved in Madrid wax museum
Spain's royal family has lost one of its members, at least in Madrid's Wax Museum. The museum has moved the figure of the Duke of Palma, who is married to King Juan Carlos's younger daughter and whose non-profit organization is under investigation for alleged misuse of public money, out of the royal family display.
"He's now situated across from the sports gallery," the museum's spokesman told Reuters.
The Duke, whose name is Inaki Urdangarin, played handball in the Olympics. The museum has changed his look, as well. He's now wearing sports gear.
State prosecutors are investigating allegations of fraud at Urdangarin's non-profit Noos Institute, which organized events to promote sports, tourism and development. An initial government investigation found evidence of inflated receipts for services at the institute.
Urdangarin has denied any wrongdoing, but he did make a public apology for the embarrassment his legal problems were causing the royal family, which has barred him from official events.
The royal family is usually well-regarded by Spaniards and the king and Queen Sofia are seen as caring about their subjects. But its approval ratings have slipped in recent opinion polls.
Urdangarin is married to Cristina, the younger of two daughters of the king and queen, and lives in Washington, D.C.
"He's now situated across from the sports gallery," the museum's spokesman told Reuters.
The Duke, whose name is Inaki Urdangarin, played handball in the Olympics. The museum has changed his look, as well. He's now wearing sports gear.
State prosecutors are investigating allegations of fraud at Urdangarin's non-profit Noos Institute, which organized events to promote sports, tourism and development. An initial government investigation found evidence of inflated receipts for services at the institute.
Urdangarin has denied any wrongdoing, but he did make a public apology for the embarrassment his legal problems were causing the royal family, which has barred him from official events.
The royal family is usually well-regarded by Spaniards and the king and Queen Sofia are seen as caring about their subjects. But its approval ratings have slipped in recent opinion polls.
Urdangarin is married to Cristina, the younger of two daughters of the king and queen, and lives in Washington, D.C.
British sprinter raises 2012 sponsorship on eBay
A top British sprinter desperate to run in his home London Olympics next year has raised 32,550 pounds ($50,500) in sponsorship by auctioning himself on eBay. James Ellington told the BBC he "couldn't be happier' after his effort to raise cash to train closed on Saturday with 71 bids from 45 bidders over a 10-day period.
"I didn't think that many people would bid," added the 100 and 200 meter runner who competed in this year's world championships in Daegu.
Ellington, 26, lost out on funding after enduring four years of injury problems, making him the country's top sprinter without a sponsor ahead of his home Games.
He had set a reserve of 30,000 pounds, which he said would provide him with enough to train and pay for travel, accommodation, kit and nutritional support.
In return for the cash, he had promised to wear the sponsor's branded kit "at every possible opportunity where appropriate, including at training and press events, until after the 2012 Games."
"I didn't think that many people would bid," added the 100 and 200 meter runner who competed in this year's world championships in Daegu.
Ellington, 26, lost out on funding after enduring four years of injury problems, making him the country's top sprinter without a sponsor ahead of his home Games.
He had set a reserve of 30,000 pounds, which he said would provide him with enough to train and pay for travel, accommodation, kit and nutritional support.
In return for the cash, he had promised to wear the sponsor's branded kit "at every possible opportunity where appropriate, including at training and press events, until after the 2012 Games."
How watching football was nearly the death of a fan
Watching your favorite football team trying to hang on to a precarious lead in the dying minutes of a match is enough to frazzle anyone's nerves, but for one Manchester United fan the stress was nearly too much. The 58-year-old woman gets so anxious she has to take treatment for a life-threatening condition brought on by watching knife-edge games at the Old Trafford stadium.
The condition, known as an Addisonian crisis, comes about when the adrenal glands do not produce enough of the stress-reducing hormone cortisol, a lack of which can lead to low blood pressure and even a coma.
"We believe that our patient was having difficulty mounting an appropriate physiological cortisol response during the big games and therefore we present this as the first description of Manchester United-induced Addisonian crisis," said Dr Akbar Choudhry who treated the patient.
Doctors suspected the condition when the woman started getting bouts of anxiety, palpitations, panic, light headedness, and a sense of impending doom towards the end of matches.
The symptoms were less serious when the home side was playing a lower-rated team.
An Addisonian crisis, which is a manifestation of Addison's disease, is difficult to diagnose because the main symptoms include fatigue, lethargy and low mood -- often experienced by otherwise healthy people and frequently reported in many other chronic conditions.
"Luckily, the patient was on holiday for United's 6-1 defeat by local rivals Manchester City in October," Choudhry said in a report on BMJ.com.
"But, by this time, doctors had fine-tuned her therapy and she has remained symptom-free during recent tense contests against Sunderland and FC Basel," he added.
Treatment coincided with the start of the 2011/12 football season and the patient has managed to attend all games at Old Trafford without any adverse effects.
The condition, known as an Addisonian crisis, comes about when the adrenal glands do not produce enough of the stress-reducing hormone cortisol, a lack of which can lead to low blood pressure and even a coma.
"We believe that our patient was having difficulty mounting an appropriate physiological cortisol response during the big games and therefore we present this as the first description of Manchester United-induced Addisonian crisis," said Dr Akbar Choudhry who treated the patient.
Doctors suspected the condition when the woman started getting bouts of anxiety, palpitations, panic, light headedness, and a sense of impending doom towards the end of matches.
The symptoms were less serious when the home side was playing a lower-rated team.
An Addisonian crisis, which is a manifestation of Addison's disease, is difficult to diagnose because the main symptoms include fatigue, lethargy and low mood -- often experienced by otherwise healthy people and frequently reported in many other chronic conditions.
"Luckily, the patient was on holiday for United's 6-1 defeat by local rivals Manchester City in October," Choudhry said in a report on BMJ.com.
"But, by this time, doctors had fine-tuned her therapy and she has remained symptom-free during recent tense contests against Sunderland and FC Basel," he added.
Treatment coincided with the start of the 2011/12 football season and the patient has managed to attend all games at Old Trafford without any adverse effects.
"Whatever" deemed most annoying word: poll
Do you want to kill a conversation? Try saying "whatever." Words like "you know" and "like" might be irritating to hear, but for the third year in a row, it's "whatever" that holds the most power to annoy, according to an annual survey by the Marist College Institute for Public Opinion.
Nearly four in ten adults named "whatever" as the most annoying verbal filler in casual conversation, while one in five adults had similar disdain for "like" and 'you know."
"Just sayin'" and "seriously" were more forgiving to the ears, though still quite irritating, Marist found.
The telephone survey of 1,026 adults nationally had a margin of error of three percentage points.
Nearly four in ten adults named "whatever" as the most annoying verbal filler in casual conversation, while one in five adults had similar disdain for "like" and 'you know."
"Just sayin'" and "seriously" were more forgiving to the ears, though still quite irritating, Marist found.
The telephone survey of 1,026 adults nationally had a margin of error of three percentage points.
Dutch pot sales to foreigners go up in smoke
The reputation of the Netherlands as the go-to country for a legal joint will begin to vanish like a puff of smoke next year as sales to foreigners of cannabis and hashish in coffee shops are banned.
The Dutch government has been clamping down on the sale of soft drugs since 2007 because of gang-related crime and concern about the risk to health, particularly as stronger forms of cannabis have been introduced.
"The Dutch drugs policy's appeal to foreign users has to be reduced," Dutch Security and Justice Minister Ivo Opstelten said in a letter to parliament.
"Drug use by minors will be strongly discouraged and in particular, vulnerable young people will be protected against drug use," the minister added.
The new rules, which will first take effect in the south and gradually be extended countrywide, limit sales of cannabis to residents of the Netherlands who must enroll as members of a coffee shop, the minister said.
The rules will come into effect from January 1, 2012, but will not be enforced until May 1, starting in the three southern provinces where drug tourism is most common and regarded as a problem by many local residents.
The rest of the country, including Amsterdam, whose drugs scene is a tourist magnet, will enforce the new rules from January 1, 2013.
From that year onwards, a coffee shop can have a maximum of 2,000 members.
The Dutch government, whose push for a stricter drugs policy is led by the Christian Democrats party, will forbid any coffee shops within 350 m (yards) of a school, with effect from 2014.
The government in October launched a plan to ban what it considered to be highly potent forms of cannabis -- known as "skunk" -- placing these in the same category as hard drugs such as heroin or cocaine.
The Dutch government has been clamping down on the sale of soft drugs since 2007 because of gang-related crime and concern about the risk to health, particularly as stronger forms of cannabis have been introduced.
"The Dutch drugs policy's appeal to foreign users has to be reduced," Dutch Security and Justice Minister Ivo Opstelten said in a letter to parliament.
"Drug use by minors will be strongly discouraged and in particular, vulnerable young people will be protected against drug use," the minister added.
The new rules, which will first take effect in the south and gradually be extended countrywide, limit sales of cannabis to residents of the Netherlands who must enroll as members of a coffee shop, the minister said.
The rules will come into effect from January 1, 2012, but will not be enforced until May 1, starting in the three southern provinces where drug tourism is most common and regarded as a problem by many local residents.
The rest of the country, including Amsterdam, whose drugs scene is a tourist magnet, will enforce the new rules from January 1, 2013.
From that year onwards, a coffee shop can have a maximum of 2,000 members.
The Dutch government, whose push for a stricter drugs policy is led by the Christian Democrats party, will forbid any coffee shops within 350 m (yards) of a school, with effect from 2014.
The government in October launched a plan to ban what it considered to be highly potent forms of cannabis -- known as "skunk" -- placing these in the same category as hard drugs such as heroin or cocaine.
Greek man claims for 19 kids-none real, police say
A former Greek policeman who invented 19 fictional offspring to claim benefits for what would have been the largest family in Greece has been arrested for benefit fraud, police said. The former police officer, divorced and with no children of his own, quit his 1,000-euro-a-month ($1,300) job in 2001 and has been living solely on benefits ever since, police said on Thursday.
Using photographs of children he found online, the 54-year-old man forged birth certificates and other documents needed to claim benefits for at least one child a year since 1996.
Police estimate he made at least 150,000 euros in claims over 15 years, but the actual amount is probably much higher.
The fraud was so expert, police said, that they only realized something was amiss when they noticed his was the only Greek family with that many children. The average Greek family usually has two or three children.
"We have never seen (a scam) like this before," said a police official who declined to be named because he was not authorized to speak to the press.
The former policeman, who under Greek law cannot be named, was arrested Wednesday as he was about to collect 8,000 euros in benefits from an Athens branch of Greece's employment agency OAED. He was taken to the prosecutor's office Thursday.
Widespread fraud, a generous welfare state and a notoriously inefficient public sector have been blamed as root causes of Greece's financial trouble that threatens to break apart the euro zone.
A team of tax investigators recently discovered that a seemingly humble Greek farmer on the island of Thasos, who owned a red Ferrari and a Porsche, was in fact into loan sharking. ($1 = 0.7721 euros
Using photographs of children he found online, the 54-year-old man forged birth certificates and other documents needed to claim benefits for at least one child a year since 1996.
Police estimate he made at least 150,000 euros in claims over 15 years, but the actual amount is probably much higher.
The fraud was so expert, police said, that they only realized something was amiss when they noticed his was the only Greek family with that many children. The average Greek family usually has two or three children.
"We have never seen (a scam) like this before," said a police official who declined to be named because he was not authorized to speak to the press.
The former policeman, who under Greek law cannot be named, was arrested Wednesday as he was about to collect 8,000 euros in benefits from an Athens branch of Greece's employment agency OAED. He was taken to the prosecutor's office Thursday.
Widespread fraud, a generous welfare state and a notoriously inefficient public sector have been blamed as root causes of Greece's financial trouble that threatens to break apart the euro zone.
A team of tax investigators recently discovered that a seemingly humble Greek farmer on the island of Thasos, who owned a red Ferrari and a Porsche, was in fact into loan sharking. ($1 = 0.7721 euros
Six-pack hunks: more than Singapore can bare?
Shirtless men clad in red sweatpants have been lining up for days in Singapore's prime shopping district, part of an advertising gimmick revealing not just muscle but also a gradual unpeeling of the city state's puritanical ways. The feverish reception given the "shirtless greeters" by the Singapore public, both in real life and online, where it has gone viral in social media, signals how the notoriously conservative city-state has been loosening up in recent years, experts said.
On a recent evening, women stood with the men for pictures, touching them on the chest or receiving a friendly embrace. One even jumped up on a greeter's back.
The men, from the United States, Europe and Asia, are on a mission to drum up excitement for fashion retailer Abercrombie & Fitch (A&F)'s flagship store in Singapore, which opened on Thursday, using a campaign also employed overseas.
"There's no way such advertisements that push the envelope slightly would have appeared about 30 years ago," said M. Thiyagarajan, a senior lecturer at Singapore Polytechnic's business school who specializes in advertising and public relations.
"I think as a society we have moved to a different level. We are far more accepting of such things."
He cited the spread of the internet, education and overseas travel as factors that have helped open minds in Singapore, which officially is still such a strict society that a ban on sales of chewing gum was renewed last year.
Local theatres have recently staged plays exploring traditionally controversial themes such as homosexuality and religion. Gay sex can still lead to a jail term of up to two years, although such laws are rarely enforced.
In October, a performance by French dancer Sylvie Guillem also contained "some scenes of upper body female nudity."
However, conservatives in the city-state are still making their voices heard.
A letter to the editor in a local paper last month complained about naming an orchid after singer Elton John, asking if homosexuality was to be "openly encouraged and endorsed by the government?"
In September, the Advertising Standards Authority of Singapore told A&F to remove a giant billboard showing a naked male torso after some members of the public complained that it was too racy.
"It is probably the response of a vocal minority, a storm in a teacup, who would use any occasion, however small, to raise the alarm," said Tan Ern Ser, an associate professor at the National University of Singapore's sociology department.
The shirtless greeters appear, for now, to be reaping more positive than negative attention.
"I think it's a pretty effective way to publicize the brand leading up to its launch, and I like how it's an outdoor campaign which has taken its own life online," said Cathryn Neo, a recruitment consultant. "And I do find them hot."
On a recent evening, women stood with the men for pictures, touching them on the chest or receiving a friendly embrace. One even jumped up on a greeter's back.
The men, from the United States, Europe and Asia, are on a mission to drum up excitement for fashion retailer Abercrombie & Fitch (A&F)'s flagship store in Singapore, which opened on Thursday, using a campaign also employed overseas.
"There's no way such advertisements that push the envelope slightly would have appeared about 30 years ago," said M. Thiyagarajan, a senior lecturer at Singapore Polytechnic's business school who specializes in advertising and public relations.
"I think as a society we have moved to a different level. We are far more accepting of such things."
He cited the spread of the internet, education and overseas travel as factors that have helped open minds in Singapore, which officially is still such a strict society that a ban on sales of chewing gum was renewed last year.
Local theatres have recently staged plays exploring traditionally controversial themes such as homosexuality and religion. Gay sex can still lead to a jail term of up to two years, although such laws are rarely enforced.
In October, a performance by French dancer Sylvie Guillem also contained "some scenes of upper body female nudity."
However, conservatives in the city-state are still making their voices heard.
A letter to the editor in a local paper last month complained about naming an orchid after singer Elton John, asking if homosexuality was to be "openly encouraged and endorsed by the government?"
In September, the Advertising Standards Authority of Singapore told A&F to remove a giant billboard showing a naked male torso after some members of the public complained that it was too racy.
"It is probably the response of a vocal minority, a storm in a teacup, who would use any occasion, however small, to raise the alarm," said Tan Ern Ser, an associate professor at the National University of Singapore's sociology department.
The shirtless greeters appear, for now, to be reaping more positive than negative attention.
"I think it's a pretty effective way to publicize the brand leading up to its launch, and I like how it's an outdoor campaign which has taken its own life online," said Cathryn Neo, a recruitment consultant. "And I do find them hot."
Take off that tie to save energy, Chilean men told
Chile's government wants men in the South American country to take off their ties to help fight global warming, hoping the campaign will save on air conditioning as summer starts in the southern hemisphere. "Let's all take our ties off this summer to save energy," Economy Minister Pablo Longueira says in television spots airing around the country.
In the commercial, he undoes the knot of his pink and white tie and whips it off with gusto, unbuttoning the top of his shirt and smiling. A tie-less energy minister and other senior government officials also appear in the TV spot.
Mornings and evenings are still cool in Chile's capital Santiago but the midday sun has already become quite strong and will remain so until fall begins in March.
While many men welcome the idea of a tie-less summer, others are put off, saying that serious people need to dress the part.
"There are things that really go along with being formal and well-structured," said Santiago resident Gonzalo Castro. "The president can't go around without a tie. Nor should a government minister, an engineer, a doctor or a journalist."
In the commercial, he undoes the knot of his pink and white tie and whips it off with gusto, unbuttoning the top of his shirt and smiling. A tie-less energy minister and other senior government officials also appear in the TV spot.
Mornings and evenings are still cool in Chile's capital Santiago but the midday sun has already become quite strong and will remain so until fall begins in March.
While many men welcome the idea of a tie-less summer, others are put off, saying that serious people need to dress the part.
"There are things that really go along with being formal and well-structured," said Santiago resident Gonzalo Castro. "The president can't go around without a tie. Nor should a government minister, an engineer, a doctor or a journalist."
Rostock want sellout virtual crowd in closed doors match
Hansa Rostock are hoping their German second-division match against Dynamo Dresden will be a sell-out Sunday even though they have been ordered to play behind closed doors. Rostock, who are bottom of the table with one win from their 18 matches, were punished by the German FA (DFB) after crowd trouble marred their 3-1 defeat to St Pauli last month when eight police officers were injured.
As a result fans were banned from Sunday's game but they are still buying "virtual" tickets to limit the financial loss to the club which had been expected to run into hundreds of thousands of euros.
"Up to this point we have sold 3,224 virtual tickets and the number is rising every moment," a Rostock official told Reuters Friday.
She said in addition to the virtual tickets sold, thousands more season ticket holders and others who had bought their tickets for the game before the ban had refused to take a refund.
The stadium was to have a capacity of 24,000 for this game, down from 29,000 due to security restrictions in the clash of the East German clubs.
Every virtual fan will get a limited-edition sticker for the game while specially-made T-shirts are also on sale. Ticket prices range from five euros to 19.65 euros.
"We are delighted with the readiness of our loyal fans to stand by the club at this difficult moment," club boss Bernd Hofmann said in a statement. "We also thank them for all their ideas and proposals to back us financially."
As a result fans were banned from Sunday's game but they are still buying "virtual" tickets to limit the financial loss to the club which had been expected to run into hundreds of thousands of euros.
"Up to this point we have sold 3,224 virtual tickets and the number is rising every moment," a Rostock official told Reuters Friday.
She said in addition to the virtual tickets sold, thousands more season ticket holders and others who had bought their tickets for the game before the ban had refused to take a refund.
The stadium was to have a capacity of 24,000 for this game, down from 29,000 due to security restrictions in the clash of the East German clubs.
Every virtual fan will get a limited-edition sticker for the game while specially-made T-shirts are also on sale. Ticket prices range from five euros to 19.65 euros.
"We are delighted with the readiness of our loyal fans to stand by the club at this difficult moment," club boss Bernd Hofmann said in a statement. "We also thank them for all their ideas and proposals to back us financially."
Missouri woman gets $6.1 million from unclaimed property
The holidays this year will be especially memorable for a Kansas City woman who has received a state record $6.1 million from a Missouri unclaimed property fund consisting of a single security. The Missouri state treasurer maintains some $600 million of unclaimed property, most of it cash from bank accounts, the contents of safe deposit boxes, stocks and bonds, according to the treasurer's office. The average payout is about $300.
"While we aren't disclosing this person's name, what I can tell you is we found this person and worked quickly to get the money back in her hands," Missouri Treasurer Clint Zweifel said on Wednesday in a statement.
Zweifel said assets become unclaimed property for many reasons in Missouri, whether a death in the family, misplaced documents or changes in address. The woman's name and other details were not disclosed for privacy reasons.
In Missouri, financial institutions, insurance companies, public agencies and other businesses are required to turn over to the state treasurer assets that belong to customers, clients or employees if there have been no documented transactions or contact with the owner for five or more years.
Thirty-eight accounts of more than $100,000 each remain unclaimed in Missouri.
Brandon Fuhr, a spokesman for the treasurer, said all states keep unclaimed property and he encouraged residents to contact their state treasurer or comptroller or look at their websites for details.
"While we aren't disclosing this person's name, what I can tell you is we found this person and worked quickly to get the money back in her hands," Missouri Treasurer Clint Zweifel said on Wednesday in a statement.
Zweifel said assets become unclaimed property for many reasons in Missouri, whether a death in the family, misplaced documents or changes in address. The woman's name and other details were not disclosed for privacy reasons.
In Missouri, financial institutions, insurance companies, public agencies and other businesses are required to turn over to the state treasurer assets that belong to customers, clients or employees if there have been no documented transactions or contact with the owner for five or more years.
Thirty-eight accounts of more than $100,000 each remain unclaimed in Missouri.
Brandon Fuhr, a spokesman for the treasurer, said all states keep unclaimed property and he encouraged residents to contact their state treasurer or comptroller or look at their websites for details.
Chinese man arrested for hiring wedding strippers
Chinese police have arrested a man who hired two strippers to perform at his son's wedding after the performance was mobbed by villagers, a newspaper reported on Wednesday. Zhang Cheng, from Xuzhou in eastern Jiangsu province, had originally wanted a band to play at the nuptials, but was then advised he could get performers whose show would have "special features," the Global Times said.
"After watching the show, Zhang decided it would be appropriate for his son's wedding and requested two strippers for the event," it added. "...Barely five minutes had passed before hundreds of villagers in the conservative community were swarming to the venue, trying to catch a glimpse."
Zhang was arrested the next day, the newspaper reported, though it did not say on what charge.
"After watching the show, Zhang decided it would be appropriate for his son's wedding and requested two strippers for the event," it added. "...Barely five minutes had passed before hundreds of villagers in the conservative community were swarming to the venue, trying to catch a glimpse."
Zhang was arrested the next day, the newspaper reported, though it did not say on what charge.
Take care selling the family silver, hard up Greeks told
Greece published guidelines on Tuesday to protect its austerity-hit citizens from being ripped off by pawn shops buying their family gold and silver. The consumer protection agency issued the unusual notice as new pawn shops spring up across Athens to meet demand for instant cash in Greece's contracting economy. But crisis-hit families may be getting a poor deal from unscrupulous traders.
"We urge consumers to weigh their objects at home," a statement from the agency said. "Fliers and advertising material promising particularly high prices should be treated with caution."
Fliers for pawn shops are stuck on car windscreens and in telephone booths across the capital. One poster at a bus stand reads: "In Gold We Trust."
Greeks, particularly civil servants, have seen their incomes drop by as much as third as a result of EU/IMF-imposed austerity policies to save the debt-laden country from default.
Consumers should seek independent valuations of their family silver, check gold prices and compare pawn shop offers for jewelry before deciding to sell, the agency warned.
"We urge consumers to weigh their objects at home," a statement from the agency said. "Fliers and advertising material promising particularly high prices should be treated with caution."
Fliers for pawn shops are stuck on car windscreens and in telephone booths across the capital. One poster at a bus stand reads: "In Gold We Trust."
Greeks, particularly civil servants, have seen their incomes drop by as much as third as a result of EU/IMF-imposed austerity policies to save the debt-laden country from default.
Consumers should seek independent valuations of their family silver, check gold prices and compare pawn shop offers for jewelry before deciding to sell, the agency warned.
Hanover 96 pass flare-lighting fine on to fan
Hanover 96 have passed on a 4,000 euro fine for flare lighting to the fan responsible for the regulation breach, the Bundesliga club said on Tuesday. Hanover were fined by the German football association (DFB) after flares were lit in the stands during their league game against Augsburg in September. Flares are banned in all German stadiums.
The fan, who was identified and has signed a document admitting his guilt, will now have to come up with the money, the club said.
"In my opinion this process did not have any alternative," club boss Martin Kind told the Hanover website (http://www.hannover96.de/).
"We will continue holding those people responsible and pass on any DFB or UEFA fines to the culprits."
The fan, who was identified and has signed a document admitting his guilt, will now have to come up with the money, the club said.
"In my opinion this process did not have any alternative," club boss Martin Kind told the Hanover website (http://www.hannover96.de/).
"We will continue holding those people responsible and pass on any DFB or UEFA fines to the culprits."
Italy winemaker sends literary message in the bottle
Nowadays when people spend more and more time exploring the depths of cyber space or just watching TV, every effort counts to bring them back to the traditional pleasure of reading. A leading Italian book store chain Feltrinelli and wine-makers Santa Margherita from northern Italy decided six years ago to join forces to promote reading in their own way.
They set up a short story contest for amateur writers on a subject related to wine, where the three winners have their works published on the back of wine bottles.
"We asked ourselves: why not try to marry the art of wine-making with the art of literature? ... That's how this contest was born," Santa Margherita's Chief Executive Ettore Nicoletto told Reuters at a recent prize award for the contest.
This year, the winners will see their short stories published in the form of tiny booklets attached to the back of Santa Margherita's 700,000 bestselling bottles which are about to go on sale in Italy, Nicoletto said.
"People read very little in Italy ... If we manage to stimulate reading with this contest, with these easy but very moving short stories, we can be satisfied because we helped to promote reading among common people who buy bottles of wine for their dinner," he said.
Just under 47 percent of Italians read at least one book not related to their work or studies in a year, according to a survey conducted by Italy's statistics agency ISTAT in 2010.
Even if the figure is up from some 45 percent in 2009, it still means that more than half of Italians do not manage to read even one book a year which is not imposed by their work or study duties.
One Italian family out of 10 does not have a single book at home, the survey showed.
ISTAT did not provide comparisons with other countries, but Feltrinelli's spokesman Paolo Soraci told Reuters that Italians read less than other Europeans.
"When these bottles hit supermarket shelves, they will reach a public who perhaps is not that used to going to book stores, not that used to reading," Soraci said.
The contest's popularity has grown over the years with about 800-1,000 short stories written in Italian sent to a special dedicated website a year, Nicoletto said.
Organisers are now thinking about extending the contest beyond Italy and launching it on Santa Margherita's key markets in Europe, the United States and Canada, Nicoletto said.
They set up a short story contest for amateur writers on a subject related to wine, where the three winners have their works published on the back of wine bottles.
"We asked ourselves: why not try to marry the art of wine-making with the art of literature? ... That's how this contest was born," Santa Margherita's Chief Executive Ettore Nicoletto told Reuters at a recent prize award for the contest.
This year, the winners will see their short stories published in the form of tiny booklets attached to the back of Santa Margherita's 700,000 bestselling bottles which are about to go on sale in Italy, Nicoletto said.
"People read very little in Italy ... If we manage to stimulate reading with this contest, with these easy but very moving short stories, we can be satisfied because we helped to promote reading among common people who buy bottles of wine for their dinner," he said.
Just under 47 percent of Italians read at least one book not related to their work or studies in a year, according to a survey conducted by Italy's statistics agency ISTAT in 2010.
Even if the figure is up from some 45 percent in 2009, it still means that more than half of Italians do not manage to read even one book a year which is not imposed by their work or study duties.
One Italian family out of 10 does not have a single book at home, the survey showed.
ISTAT did not provide comparisons with other countries, but Feltrinelli's spokesman Paolo Soraci told Reuters that Italians read less than other Europeans.
"When these bottles hit supermarket shelves, they will reach a public who perhaps is not that used to going to book stores, not that used to reading," Soraci said.
The contest's popularity has grown over the years with about 800-1,000 short stories written in Italian sent to a special dedicated website a year, Nicoletto said.
Organisers are now thinking about extending the contest beyond Italy and launching it on Santa Margherita's key markets in Europe, the United States and Canada, Nicoletto said.
Croat's Christmas now comes with a million lights
Zlatko Salaj has come a long way from the bleak Christmases of his youth.
The 67-year old former telecommunications engineer has turned his country estate in Grabovnica, central Croatia, into a festival of light and color that attracts thousands of visitors every year.
Starting in 2002 with 70,000 light bulbs hung on each of the hundreds of small trees and shrubs on his 7-hectare (17 acres) estate, Salaj has this year lit 1.2 million lights, many in the shape of Santa Claus, his sleigh and reindeer.
"My childhood was really... we were poor. My father had a mill but it was destroyed in World War Two. On top of that, my mother left us when I was four so father and I ended up alone," he told Reuters.
After a career spent abroad, mostly in the Middle East and Africa, Salaj returned home and set about the project, which he named "Christmas Story."
"It was a sensation in the whole region, particularly for children. People asked me how many lights I would use the following year and I said '100,000'. So the number grew more and more each year."
He and his family laid 5 km (3 miles) of underground electricity cables and almost 180 km of wires placed on trees and shrubs. Every year he takes almost three months to prepare and another three to dismantle the decoration.
The electricity bill for last December alone totaled some 70,000 kuna ($12,500) so Salaj started charging a small entry fee, but has no intention of stopping.
"God willing, we might have a nice surprise for Easter," he said.
($1 = 5.5999 Croatian kunas)
The 67-year old former telecommunications engineer has turned his country estate in Grabovnica, central Croatia, into a festival of light and color that attracts thousands of visitors every year.
Starting in 2002 with 70,000 light bulbs hung on each of the hundreds of small trees and shrubs on his 7-hectare (17 acres) estate, Salaj has this year lit 1.2 million lights, many in the shape of Santa Claus, his sleigh and reindeer.
"My childhood was really... we were poor. My father had a mill but it was destroyed in World War Two. On top of that, my mother left us when I was four so father and I ended up alone," he told Reuters.
After a career spent abroad, mostly in the Middle East and Africa, Salaj returned home and set about the project, which he named "Christmas Story."
"It was a sensation in the whole region, particularly for children. People asked me how many lights I would use the following year and I said '100,000'. So the number grew more and more each year."
He and his family laid 5 km (3 miles) of underground electricity cables and almost 180 km of wires placed on trees and shrubs. Every year he takes almost three months to prepare and another three to dismantle the decoration.
The electricity bill for last December alone totaled some 70,000 kuna ($12,500) so Salaj started charging a small entry fee, but has no intention of stopping.
"God willing, we might have a nice surprise for Easter," he said.
($1 = 5.5999 Croatian kunas)
App helps viewers shop while watching TV
Looking for the dress you saw on a hit television show or the jerseys worn during a football game or soccer match? An iPad app aims to help viewers shop while watching TV. Unlike television shopping channels, Watch with Ebay is a new feature in eBay's iPad app that lets users buy items related to the program they're currently viewing.
"The idea is to provide a new form of TV watching entertainment that includes the possibility of shopping and discovering interesting products people never would have discovered otherwise," said Steve Yankovich, vice president of mobile at eBay.
After entering the network provider and channel, items related to the TV show, the actors, guests or teams in a sporting event surface within the app.
"We've seen that guys sitting around watching a sporting event will buy jerseys for the team they like," Yankovich said. "And normally when you're sitting around watching a sporting event on TV, you're not really thinking about being in shopping mode. But that's because no one presented it to you in a frictionless and pleasing way."
A recent study by Yahoo/Nielsen found that 86 percent of smartphone and tablet owners use the devices while watching TV and 25 percent of them are searching for information related to the show.
"There's already a natural thing happening where people are using their device like a companion to TV watching," explained Yankovich.
Purchasing the item in a particular scene of a TV show isn't possible yet, but that could change.
Yankovich said content providers are beginning to tag video frames with the items in those scenes, which will make it possible in the future.
"It will get down to actual product. It could literally be the brand name of clothing that each person is wearing in the scene, including the actual stock-keeping unit (SKU) for the piece of clothing," he said.
When it happens the app could sync with the program to display the item in a scene of a show.
Yankovich said plans for the app are to provide recommendations based on the user's shopping interests, whether it is watches, shoes or autographed memorabilia. When the items are related to the show they're viewing, they will be featured on the screen.
"We will be your personal shopper paying attention so you don't have to. You just lean back, watch TV and we show you stuff you care about on the app," Yankovich said.
"The idea is to provide a new form of TV watching entertainment that includes the possibility of shopping and discovering interesting products people never would have discovered otherwise," said Steve Yankovich, vice president of mobile at eBay.
After entering the network provider and channel, items related to the TV show, the actors, guests or teams in a sporting event surface within the app.
"We've seen that guys sitting around watching a sporting event will buy jerseys for the team they like," Yankovich said. "And normally when you're sitting around watching a sporting event on TV, you're not really thinking about being in shopping mode. But that's because no one presented it to you in a frictionless and pleasing way."
A recent study by Yahoo/Nielsen found that 86 percent of smartphone and tablet owners use the devices while watching TV and 25 percent of them are searching for information related to the show.
"There's already a natural thing happening where people are using their device like a companion to TV watching," explained Yankovich.
Purchasing the item in a particular scene of a TV show isn't possible yet, but that could change.
Yankovich said content providers are beginning to tag video frames with the items in those scenes, which will make it possible in the future.
"It will get down to actual product. It could literally be the brand name of clothing that each person is wearing in the scene, including the actual stock-keeping unit (SKU) for the piece of clothing," he said.
When it happens the app could sync with the program to display the item in a scene of a show.
Yankovich said plans for the app are to provide recommendations based on the user's shopping interests, whether it is watches, shoes or autographed memorabilia. When the items are related to the show they're viewing, they will be featured on the screen.
"We will be your personal shopper paying attention so you don't have to. You just lean back, watch TV and we show you stuff you care about on the app," Yankovich said.
Protester shaves year-old beard with new Belgian government
A Belgian radio presenter who grew a beard for almost a year in protest at protracted talks to form a government finally shaved Monday with new coalition about to take office. Koen Fillet and almost 800 others joined the call for a beard protest by actor Benoit Poelvoorde in January 2011, when negotiations had already dragged on for more than six months after a June 2010 election.
Many of the protesters eventually shaved, including Poelvoorde, but Fillet said he had unwilling to give up.
"I had moments of weakness, but if I had shaved I would have faced the ridicule of the nation," Fillet told Reuters, still sporting an impressive dark and grey beard that reached down to his chest.
In an elaborate ceremony at an impromptu barbershop set up at the studios of Flemish public broadcaster Radio 1 in Brussels, Fillet was eventually shaved facing a large press corps with a broad smile on his face.
Six Belgian political parties completed negotiations last week form a coalition government, a year and a half after parliamentary elections.
"I'm happy and relieved there is a new government. We will see whether it is a good government which does the right things," Fillet said. He said he would not be available for future follicular protest of this kind, should Belgian politics face another impasse in the future.
"Absolutely not. I gave up my own destiny, I was no longer the master over my own appearance. I won't do it a second time."
Many of the protesters eventually shaved, including Poelvoorde, but Fillet said he had unwilling to give up.
"I had moments of weakness, but if I had shaved I would have faced the ridicule of the nation," Fillet told Reuters, still sporting an impressive dark and grey beard that reached down to his chest.
In an elaborate ceremony at an impromptu barbershop set up at the studios of Flemish public broadcaster Radio 1 in Brussels, Fillet was eventually shaved facing a large press corps with a broad smile on his face.
Six Belgian political parties completed negotiations last week form a coalition government, a year and a half after parliamentary elections.
"I'm happy and relieved there is a new government. We will see whether it is a good government which does the right things," Fillet said. He said he would not be available for future follicular protest of this kind, should Belgian politics face another impasse in the future.
"Absolutely not. I gave up my own destiny, I was no longer the master over my own appearance. I won't do it a second time."
Disarmed grenades found in woman's luggage at airport
Authorities at Newark Liberty Airport in New Jersey discovered five disarmed grenades in the luggage of a woman seeking to board a flight to Belgium, the Transportation Security Administration said on Monday. The TSA said baggage screeners had found the grenades while X-raying the woman's checked luggage on Saturday.
TSA spokeswoman Lisa Farbstein said the woman, who has not been named, surrendered the items to authorities without incident and was then allowed to board the flight. Farbstein did not say why the woman was carrying the grenades.
Port Authority Police has law enforcement authority over the airport and said on Monday they were not called in for the incident.
TSA spokeswoman Lisa Farbstein said the woman, who has not been named, surrendered the items to authorities without incident and was then allowed to board the flight. Farbstein did not say why the woman was carrying the grenades.
Port Authority Police has law enforcement authority over the airport and said on Monday they were not called in for the incident.
AIDS group seeks LA vote on condoms in porn films
Voters in Los Angeles, home to the U.S. porn industry, could soon be asked to decide whether condoms should be required in adult films to reduce sexually transmitted diseases. The AIDS Healthcare Foundation said on Monday it submitted far more than the required number of signatures on a petition for a public ballot that could go before voters in June 2012.
If the signatures are officially certified and a vote is held, Los Angeles residents would be asked whether adult film producers must require the use of condoms on porn sets as a condition for getting movie permits.
Most major porn companies shoot films without condoms, and some argue that using latex prophylactics would take away from the fantasy appeal of their product. The multibillion dollar U.S. industry is largely based in Los Angeles, and producers say they might leave if new laws make condom use unavoidable.
California officials argue that a vote is not necessary because the porn industry is already covered by workplace rules protecting employees from blood-borne pathogens. They say condoms are required in cases where adult film performers could be exposed to infection.
The California Division of Occupational Safety and Health has issued over $125,000 in fines against porn producers in the past five years for various violations, but some of those citations are on appeal, according to figures from the agency.
The AIDS Healthcare Foundation counters that city officials and the area's public health agency have been slow to crack down on the porn industry.
"We're confident about our ability to win an initiative in an election," said Michael Weinstein, the foundation's president. "We say, why continue to frustrate ourselves trying to get the politicians to stand up and do something when the people seem to be ahead of them."
Former porn star Derrick Burts, 25, who said he was infected with HIV on a porn shoot in 2010, claimed some performers would like to wear condoms but will not go against the wishes of their producers.
"In this industry, you fight for every dollar you can make, because when you get into this industry, it's hard to get out and make a normal living because your face is everywhere as someone who's done porn," Burts said.
A representative for adult industry group the Free Speech Coalition did not return a phone call or e-mail seeking comment, and a representative from the city's film permitting agency could not be reached for comment.
If the signatures are officially certified and a vote is held, Los Angeles residents would be asked whether adult film producers must require the use of condoms on porn sets as a condition for getting movie permits.
Most major porn companies shoot films without condoms, and some argue that using latex prophylactics would take away from the fantasy appeal of their product. The multibillion dollar U.S. industry is largely based in Los Angeles, and producers say they might leave if new laws make condom use unavoidable.
California officials argue that a vote is not necessary because the porn industry is already covered by workplace rules protecting employees from blood-borne pathogens. They say condoms are required in cases where adult film performers could be exposed to infection.
The California Division of Occupational Safety and Health has issued over $125,000 in fines against porn producers in the past five years for various violations, but some of those citations are on appeal, according to figures from the agency.
The AIDS Healthcare Foundation counters that city officials and the area's public health agency have been slow to crack down on the porn industry.
"We're confident about our ability to win an initiative in an election," said Michael Weinstein, the foundation's president. "We say, why continue to frustrate ourselves trying to get the politicians to stand up and do something when the people seem to be ahead of them."
Former porn star Derrick Burts, 25, who said he was infected with HIV on a porn shoot in 2010, claimed some performers would like to wear condoms but will not go against the wishes of their producers.
"In this industry, you fight for every dollar you can make, because when you get into this industry, it's hard to get out and make a normal living because your face is everywhere as someone who's done porn," Burts said.
A representative for adult industry group the Free Speech Coalition did not return a phone call or e-mail seeking comment, and a representative from the city's film permitting agency could not be reached for comment.
Alec Baldwin abandons Twitter after airline flap
Alec Baldwin was unusually quiet Wednesday -- at least on Twitter.
The usually outspoken "30 Rock" star has sent his last tweet -- at least for now -- following an altercation on an American Airlines flight Wednesday that led to his removal from the plane.
According to New York Daily News, Baldwin began to experience a Twitter meltdown Tuesday after issuing a barrage of tweets about his flight ejection. Noting his urge to "crash" his account and begin anew, Baldwin urged his followers -- then numbering approximately 600,000 -- to "unfollow" him in droves.
"Let's play a game called Mass Unfollowing," one of Baldwin's last tweets read. "I want to crash this acct and start again. But, tonight at 10PM, NY time, unfollow me."
By Wednesday, the name of his account had been changed from AlecBaldwin to Deactivated001. In the latest metamorphosis of Baldwin's twitter status, the actor's account has now been suspended, leaving the world without access to Baldwin's 4,700-plus missives of pithy wit and wisdom.
So what happened? Has Baldwin gone into social-media exile in reaction to his high-profile expulsion? Did Twitter suspend Baldwin's account in light of his "Mass Unfollowing" shenanigans?
The actor's spokesperson, Matthew Hiltzik, told the paper that Baldwin is "focusing on shooting '30 Rock' today" -- though it seems a bit drastic to abandon Twitter altogether for the mere sake of professionalism.
But then, Baldwin has a history of volatile, unpredictable behavior. The actor -- who during the Clinton impeachment hearings famously posited that "If we were in another country ... we would stone Henry Hyde to death" -- also made headlines in 2007 when he left a phone message for his then-11 year old daughter, Ireland, calling her a "thoughtless little pig."
The outbursts, and the plane incident, could be problematic if he ever makes good on his stated interest in running for political office.
Baldwin was escorted off his American Airlines flight Wednesday while waiting to take off from Los Angeles International Airport. Both the actor and his spokesperson said Baldwin was playing online the Zynga game Words With Friends while waiting for the plane to take off. Zynga offered support for that account by tweeting a graphic of the Words With Friends interface with the message "Let Alec Play." (Baldwin also posted the image on his own twitter account.)
But others have a less playful account. A crew member on the plane told the New York Post that the actor went ballistic after being asked repeatedly to turn off his iPhone, and became "violent, abusive and aggressive" to the point that the flight's captain had to get involved.
"He was beating the walls of the lavatory to the point that the captain called us to see what that was about. They heard it in the cockpit," the paper quoted the crew member as saying.
American issued a statement on its Facebook page supporting the crew member's account, though it didn't identify Baldwin by name. "The passenger was extremely rude to the crew, calling them inappropriate names and using offensive language," the statement said. "Given the facts above, the passenger was removed from the flight and denied boarding."
Baldwin was booked onto another American Airlines flight, the actor's spokesperson told TheWrap on Tuesday. But unwilling to leave bad enough alone, he taunted the airline with a series of tweets.
"Flight attendant on American reamed me out 4 playing WORDS W FRIENDS while we sat at the gate, not moving," Baldwin wrote, adding the hashtag "#nowonderamericaairisbankrupt" -- a none-too-subtle dig at the airline's financial woes.
A subsequent tweet offered a plug for a rival airline: "#theresalwaysunited."
Sadly, at least for now, the world is deprived of such witticisms. Whether his absence amounts to the equivalent of a weather delay or a full-on cancellation remains to be seen.
Baldwin's spokesperson did not immediately respond to TheWrap's request for comment.
The usually outspoken "30 Rock" star has sent his last tweet -- at least for now -- following an altercation on an American Airlines flight Wednesday that led to his removal from the plane.
According to New York Daily News, Baldwin began to experience a Twitter meltdown Tuesday after issuing a barrage of tweets about his flight ejection. Noting his urge to "crash" his account and begin anew, Baldwin urged his followers -- then numbering approximately 600,000 -- to "unfollow" him in droves.
"Let's play a game called Mass Unfollowing," one of Baldwin's last tweets read. "I want to crash this acct and start again. But, tonight at 10PM, NY time, unfollow me."
By Wednesday, the name of his account had been changed from AlecBaldwin to Deactivated001. In the latest metamorphosis of Baldwin's twitter status, the actor's account has now been suspended, leaving the world without access to Baldwin's 4,700-plus missives of pithy wit and wisdom.
So what happened? Has Baldwin gone into social-media exile in reaction to his high-profile expulsion? Did Twitter suspend Baldwin's account in light of his "Mass Unfollowing" shenanigans?
The actor's spokesperson, Matthew Hiltzik, told the paper that Baldwin is "focusing on shooting '30 Rock' today" -- though it seems a bit drastic to abandon Twitter altogether for the mere sake of professionalism.
But then, Baldwin has a history of volatile, unpredictable behavior. The actor -- who during the Clinton impeachment hearings famously posited that "If we were in another country ... we would stone Henry Hyde to death" -- also made headlines in 2007 when he left a phone message for his then-11 year old daughter, Ireland, calling her a "thoughtless little pig."
The outbursts, and the plane incident, could be problematic if he ever makes good on his stated interest in running for political office.
Baldwin was escorted off his American Airlines flight Wednesday while waiting to take off from Los Angeles International Airport. Both the actor and his spokesperson said Baldwin was playing online the Zynga game Words With Friends while waiting for the plane to take off. Zynga offered support for that account by tweeting a graphic of the Words With Friends interface with the message "Let Alec Play." (Baldwin also posted the image on his own twitter account.)
But others have a less playful account. A crew member on the plane told the New York Post that the actor went ballistic after being asked repeatedly to turn off his iPhone, and became "violent, abusive and aggressive" to the point that the flight's captain had to get involved.
"He was beating the walls of the lavatory to the point that the captain called us to see what that was about. They heard it in the cockpit," the paper quoted the crew member as saying.
American issued a statement on its Facebook page supporting the crew member's account, though it didn't identify Baldwin by name. "The passenger was extremely rude to the crew, calling them inappropriate names and using offensive language," the statement said. "Given the facts above, the passenger was removed from the flight and denied boarding."
Baldwin was booked onto another American Airlines flight, the actor's spokesperson told TheWrap on Tuesday. But unwilling to leave bad enough alone, he taunted the airline with a series of tweets.
"Flight attendant on American reamed me out 4 playing WORDS W FRIENDS while we sat at the gate, not moving," Baldwin wrote, adding the hashtag "#nowonderamericaairisbankrupt" -- a none-too-subtle dig at the airline's financial woes.
A subsequent tweet offered a plug for a rival airline: "#theresalwaysunited."
Sadly, at least for now, the world is deprived of such witticisms. Whether his absence amounts to the equivalent of a weather delay or a full-on cancellation remains to be seen.
Baldwin's spokesperson did not immediately respond to TheWrap's request for comment.
Jennifer Aniston preferred guest at holiday table
Actress Jennifer Aniston and her ex-husband Brad Pitt would be the preferred guests at a holiday meal for many Americans, along with the Duchess of Cambridge. Aniston, the former "Friends" star, topped the list with 30 percent in the survey that asked Americans which celebrity they would like to sit next to at a holiday meal.
Pitt polled third with 16 percent, while the Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton, came in second with 21 percent.
Actors Charlie Sheen and Ashton Kutcher and reality television star Kim Kardashian rounded out the top choices.
But when it came to party guests, food doyenne Rachel Ray was the person chosen by 31 percent of people, followed by late night talk show host Jay Leno, who was a distant second at 17 percent.
Celebrity chef Paula Deen was named as the cook most people wanted to prepare their holiday meal. Cantankerous chef Gordon Ramsey came in second, while Martha Stewart was third.
The poll, conducted by retailer HomeGoods, questioned 1,008 Americans in an online survey in October.
Pitt polled third with 16 percent, while the Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton, came in second with 21 percent.
Actors Charlie Sheen and Ashton Kutcher and reality television star Kim Kardashian rounded out the top choices.
But when it came to party guests, food doyenne Rachel Ray was the person chosen by 31 percent of people, followed by late night talk show host Jay Leno, who was a distant second at 17 percent.
Celebrity chef Paula Deen was named as the cook most people wanted to prepare their holiday meal. Cantankerous chef Gordon Ramsey came in second, while Martha Stewart was third.
The poll, conducted by retailer HomeGoods, questioned 1,008 Americans in an online survey in October.
Forget the Christmas parties, employees want cash
Companies planning to spend thousands of dollars for staff Christmas parties, even with open bars, shouldn't bother because most U.S. employees would prefer money. Nearly three quarters of 2,574 workers questioned in a Harris poll said they would opt for a cash bonus, followed by 62 percent who would prefer a salary increase and 32 percent who wanted more paid time off.
Only four percent put a Christmas party on the top of their holiday.
"Until we see the impacts of the Great Recession further recede, when it comes to what employees want it starts with cash and other financial perks to make sure that ends can be met over the holidays," said Rusty Rueff, of Glassdoor, the jobs listing firm that which commissioned the poll.
A grocery gift card, being able to work from home for a year and company stocks or shares were also among the most popular items on the list.
Ten percent of workers wanted a health care subsidy, eight said gym membership would be useful and three percent said they wanted a commuter subsidy.
Only two percent opted for a gold watch or other accessory.
Nearly three out of four employees said they were eligible for a bonus this year and 58 percent expected to receive one.
Only four percent put a Christmas party on the top of their holiday.
"Until we see the impacts of the Great Recession further recede, when it comes to what employees want it starts with cash and other financial perks to make sure that ends can be met over the holidays," said Rusty Rueff, of Glassdoor, the jobs listing firm that which commissioned the poll.
A grocery gift card, being able to work from home for a year and company stocks or shares were also among the most popular items on the list.
Ten percent of workers wanted a health care subsidy, eight said gym membership would be useful and three percent said they wanted a commuter subsidy.
Only two percent opted for a gold watch or other accessory.
Nearly three out of four employees said they were eligible for a bonus this year and 58 percent expected to receive one.
Cannonball hits home in "MythBusters" TV shoot
A cannonball shot during an experiment gone awry on the television show "MythBusters" crashed into a home in Northern California, but no one was injured, the company behind the program said on Wednesday.
The mishap took place one day earlier during filming at an Alameda County Sheriff's Department bomb range in Dublin, California, which is about 25 miles east of San Francisco.
"During the testing, a cannonball took an unforeseen bounce from a safety berm," Discovery Channel, which airs the "MythBusters" show, said in a statement.
Aside from the home that was struck, the cannonball also damaged a parked car, said the cable TV network.
"MythBusters" is a science show that stars special effects experts Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman, who conduct unusual and occasionally explosive experiments to test the validity of urban myths, such as whether shooting fish in a barrel is as easy as it sounds.
A representative from Discovery Channel did not immediately respond to an e-mail asking what experiment the show's producers were conducting when the cannonball was fired.
Sergeant J.D. Nelson of the Alameda County sheriff's department, who is a bomb technician, was present during the firing, Discovery said. Nelson has been a regular safety explosives expert for "MythBusters."
Discovery said "all proper safety protocol was observed" prior to the incident. A representative for the county sheriff could not be reached for comment.
The mishap took place one day earlier during filming at an Alameda County Sheriff's Department bomb range in Dublin, California, which is about 25 miles east of San Francisco.
"During the testing, a cannonball took an unforeseen bounce from a safety berm," Discovery Channel, which airs the "MythBusters" show, said in a statement.
Aside from the home that was struck, the cannonball also damaged a parked car, said the cable TV network.
"MythBusters" is a science show that stars special effects experts Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman, who conduct unusual and occasionally explosive experiments to test the validity of urban myths, such as whether shooting fish in a barrel is as easy as it sounds.
A representative from Discovery Channel did not immediately respond to an e-mail asking what experiment the show's producers were conducting when the cannonball was fired.
Sergeant J.D. Nelson of the Alameda County sheriff's department, who is a bomb technician, was present during the firing, Discovery said. Nelson has been a regular safety explosives expert for "MythBusters."
Discovery said "all proper safety protocol was observed" prior to the incident. A representative for the county sheriff could not be reached for comment.
Jewel of a gift lands in Kansas City area Salvation Army kettle
Tossing a stone into a Salvation Army kettle at Christmas wouldn't be a nice thing to do. Unless it's a diamond, of course.
Someone recently put a 3/4-carat diamond in a kettle outside a Walmart in Shawnee, Kansas, a suburb of Kansas City. It was appraised Thursday at $2,000.
A Salvation Army employee found the loose diamond wrapped in paper, said Major Michele Heaver, a spokeswoman for the group.
"First he thought it was trash and then he discovered it was quite the opposite," Heaver said Friday. "He told us about it and we put it in a safe."
The diamond was cut about 100 years ago, Heaver said, citing the appraiser. It will be set in a ring and auctioned off, with proceeds used to help families and others in need, she said.
Over the years, other items besides cash and checks have appeared in Salvation Army kettles, including gold bars, gold coins and wads of cash, Heaver said.
"I've never heard of an actual diamond," Heaver said. "We are very excited to get that type of donation."
Someone recently put a 3/4-carat diamond in a kettle outside a Walmart in Shawnee, Kansas, a suburb of Kansas City. It was appraised Thursday at $2,000.
A Salvation Army employee found the loose diamond wrapped in paper, said Major Michele Heaver, a spokeswoman for the group.
"First he thought it was trash and then he discovered it was quite the opposite," Heaver said Friday. "He told us about it and we put it in a safe."
The diamond was cut about 100 years ago, Heaver said, citing the appraiser. It will be set in a ring and auctioned off, with proceeds used to help families and others in need, she said.
Over the years, other items besides cash and checks have appeared in Salvation Army kettles, including gold bars, gold coins and wads of cash, Heaver said.
"I've never heard of an actual diamond," Heaver said. "We are very excited to get that type of donation."
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