Thursday, March 31, 2011

Teens warned of risks from 'vodka tampon' use

Police in southern Germany warned this week of a dangerous new form of alcohol abuse among teens – using tampons soaked in vodka to get drunk quickly and hide the smell. The practice poses grave health risks, they said.

Police in the Baden-Württemburg city of Tuttlingen responded Tuesday to growing online chatter among teenagers that they could become intoxicated using the vodka tampons without having alcohol on their breath.

This is not true, police said, denying that it was an effective way to get drunk. They also warned girls that the alcohol could damage vaginal walls and increase the risk of infection. Boys have reportedly also been using tampons anally.

“I believe this is very dangerous,” head of a children’s clinic in Singen told southern German paper Südkurier last week. “For us this is a new thing.”

In early March a 14-year-old girl collapsed during a street festival in Konstanz, apparently highly intoxicated from using a vodka tampon, the paper reported.

Youth researchers have since found out that this form of alcohol abuse is trendy in the region.

But teens who believe they can hide the smell of alcohol consumption are wrong, experts told the paper.

The development shows a new dimension for alcohol abuse among teens, county social worker Axel Goßner told the Südkurier.

“Alcohol is no longer a stimulant, but a means to an end,” he said.

The trend arose among teens in the United States, where it is known as “slimming.” But it has reportedly caught on in Scandinavia and other places where alcohol is difficult for young people to acquire.

Some Facebook groups are even devoted to exchanging tips on the topic, complete with how-to videos and instructions.


via thelocal

Dutch Girl, 12, Gives Birth on School Trip

A 12-year-old Dutch girl gave birth while on a school trip, sparking a police search Wednesday for the father of the child.

The girl, from Groningen, 114 miles northeast of Amsterdam, complained of stomach pains March 22, during a day out with classmates.

Teachers realized the girl was in labor and called an ambulance. Medics rushed to the scene, and the 12 year old delivered a healthy baby girl in a nearby building. The young mother was then taken to the hospital but has refused to name the father.

Family members said that the schoolgirl's father previously sexually abused another older daughter and served two years in jail for the sex crime, according to the Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf.

The girl was living with her father and brother after he won custody following a divorce from their mother, who was originally from Suriname, a former Dutch colony in South America.

The girl's stepsister, 30, told the newspaper, "I warned him. I am shocked about what happened."

Dutch police said in a statement Wednesday, "The girl got pregnant when she was 11, which in itself means there has been a criminal offense. Article 244 of the Penal Code, sex with a minor under 12, is punishable. In addition, there are now [circumstances] reported by the Child Protection Board. Taking these two circumstances, the police is now investigating who the father [of this baby] is."

The girl was due to go into foster care once she was released from the hospital.


via myfoxny

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Obese man stuck in chair for 2 years; had to be cut from chair after skin fused with fabric

An Ohio man's skin became fused with the fabric of his chair after he supposedly sat in it for at least two years.

A morbidly obese man had to be cut out of a chair after not getting up for two years, officials said.

The horrific case was discovered when police were called to the man's home in Bellaire, Ohio, Sunday morning after he was found unconscious in a living room chair, WTRF-TV reported.

Cops said the 43-year-old man's skin had fused to the fabric of the chair.

They said he sat in his own waste and was covered in maggots.

Authorities were forced to cut a hole in the wall of the man's house to remove him to the hospital.

The man - whose name was not released - lived with a roommate and a girlfriend who prepared him food since he was unable to get up.

via nydailynews

NYPD Helps Make $10M Pot Bust At Upsate Hydroponic Farm

Officials said the ring distributed the pot mostly in New York City, but dealt as far away as Philadelphia.

The NYPD helped seize $10 million worth of pot plants from upstate hydroponic farms and arrest more than a dozen people.

A strike force of federal agents, city cops and Sullivan County police swooped down on five homes two hours north of Manhattan.

Officials said the ring distributed the pot mostly in New York City, but dealt as far away as Philadelphia.

Each plant produced a pound of pot worth anywhere from $600 to $1,200 on the street.

Sixteen people, including 14 undocumented immigrants from South America, were arrested on federal drug charges during the sweep by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Strike Force.

The suspects were awaiting arraignment in U.S. District Court in White Plains on Wednesday.

Authorities were tipped off while a detective from the Sullivan County Sheriff's Office and Drug Enforcement Administration agents were checking out suspected drug locations.

They investigated a car parked outside one of the locations - and immediately smelled marijuana.

"The odor was pungent," said a law enforcement source. "It was so strong there was no mistake."

After interviewing the men inside the car, agents armed with federal search warrants hit five locations in Mamakating, Lumberland and Highland townships.

via nydailynews

First Week Sales: Wiz Khalifa Expected to Sell 190-210K

Hits Daily Double gives its estimates based off the one-day sales…

The projections are in. Wiz Khalifa’s major label debut, Rolling Papers, is reportedly on track to sell around 190,00 to 210,000 copies come next week.

According to the one-day sales estimates by the industry insiders at hitsdailydouble.com, the 2010 XXL Freshman will pick up the No. 2 spot on the Billboard Top 200 albums charts. Pop queen Britney Spears is on her way to earning the No. 1 seat.

Snoop Dogg’s The Doggumentary is on its way to selling around 45,000-50,000 units.


Music available on Wiz Khalifa


via xxlmag.com

Love Bacon? Bathe with Bacon Soap

"Bacon Soap
Price: £5.49 per slice
Yep, you’re reading that right.

Glorious, isn't it? I tried to photoshop some Power of God behind those slices, but I couldn't get it right. So I added some eggs.

We know what you're thinking. "Where would I put Bacon soap so that you can enjoy it all day?"

Lucky for you, not only are we soap makers... we're bacon lovers, too. We have some answers.

Put it in your bathroom. It'll smell like bacon in no time. Odds are, you won't want to leave.

Put it next to your bed. You'll have dreams of heavenly fields of bacon, fed to you by really hot women... or men. Or men and women. Or pigs.

That would just be creepy, but I'm trying to work with all kinds here...

Put it in your kitchen, and you'll constantly want to add bacon to all of your favorite recipes.

Bring it to work. The power of bacon has the ability to drown out even the most annoying co-worker or angry boss.

Send it to a friend as a gift. This friend could be a vegan, a vegetarian, a fruitarian... maybe someone with no teeth... anyone who might not understand why YOU love bacon so much... because of religious or dietary reasons... this is your chance to school them. Don't try to convert them, though... that would be wrong*.

Soapier is proud to respect the religious and dietary reasons of those with us on this tiny planet... we're also proud to be able to spread the love of such a fantastic meat product, without including any of said meat product.

We get sad when we see people who can't enjoy one of our most yummy foods.

5 ozs of high quality vegetable glycerin soap. No pigs were hurt in the making of this soap. Our products are not tested on animals. We're firm haters of animal cruelty and long for the day when animals start testing their own products out on these bad people."


via soapier.co.uk

Somali pirate offers to release Danish family in exchange for hand of daughter, 13

Life can be lonely on the high seas and one pirate has decided enough is enough, it's about time he got himself a wife.

But the Somali pirate chief has taken a fancy to his 13-year-old Danish hostage - and he is so besotted with her he's willing to let the rest of her family go free, and even forget the $5million dollar ransom his pirate colleagues demanded.

According to The Times, the pirate made the bizarre proposal during a conversation with a Danish reporter, who visited the African nation to track down the Johansen family who were taken hostage in the Indian Ocean more than a month ago.

Jan Quist Johansen, his wife Birgit Marie Johansen, their sons Rune and Hjalte and their daughter Naja, were kidnapped along with their two crewmen.

Their yacht was hijacked in the Indian ocean 260 miles from the coast just weeks from completing the end of their two-year voyage. They have been trapped on board the previously hijacked MS Dover, along with 20 other hostages, since February 24.

The reporter, from the tabloid Ekstra Bladet, was not allowed to speak to the family, but he spoke to the chief pirate who apparently revealed his plans for a bride.

The terrifying proposal puts more pressure on the authorities and hostage negotiators to free the family.

If the Danes give me permission to marry the girl, I will free the rest without any condition,' Kristian Kornoe quoted the pirate chief as saying.

The reporter, who assumed the offer was never going to be accepted, said: 'The father, Jan, seemed completely exhausted, even ill.

'The rest of the family is tired and angry. The smell is unbearable ... it is hot, the water is filthy.'

Henrik Ljung, a senior Danish psychologist, said 'The offer of marriage was simply a way of applying psychological pressure, a show of force.

'It’s an extremely effective tool if you want to raise money.'

Somali pirate Abdullahi Mohamed said earlier this month the gang responsible for the kidnap would kill all seven hostages if any attempt was made to rescue them.

The family, from Kalundborg, 75 miles west of Copenhagen, were planning to enter the Mediterranean through the Suez canal from the Red Sea.

That route would take the family through the Gulf of Aden, one of the most dangerous waterways in the world in terms of piracy.

It is the first time children have been captured.

Two days before they were captured Americans Jean and Scott Adam and Phyllis Macay and Bob Riggle were killed after their boats were seized by Somali pirates.

It is hoped that the Danish crew will be able to survive the ordeal as was the case with British couple Paul and Rachel Chandler, who were finally released in November 2010 after 388 days in captivity in return for a secret £625,000 ransom.

Earlier on the same day that the Danish vessel was captured, Somali pirates also hijacked a Greek-owned cargo vessel with 23 crew on board.

The MV Dover was seized in the north Arabian sea, 260 miles north-east of the Omani port of Salalah.

There are three Romanians, 19 Filipinos and a Russian aboard the Panama-flagged vessel.


via dailymail


MOST DOPE

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

To Russia With Money: The Old World Finds New Wealth

Billionaire Spotlight: Europe

"To be a billionaire in Europe, it helps to own a mine in Russia or the runway in Paris. Another tip: have a big footprint in Asia's thriving consumer markets. Europe's richest person for the second year in a row is LVMH's Bernard Arnault, whose luxury brands are flying off the shelves in Shanghai and Ho Chi Minh City; his fortune is up $24.5 billion in two years. France's Reinold Geiger debuts after listing his cosmetics firm, L'Occitane, which gets half its sales from Asia, on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. Italian Diego Della Valle's Tod's opened its first single brand store in Shanghai last year. The soaring demand for these goods helped boost the total wealth of Europe's now 300 billionaires by 29% to a record of $1.3 trillion, the equivalent of Spain's GDP. The European Union, in comparison, expanded at a meager 1.8% last year."

Europe
By The Numbers
Total Net Worth: 1.3 Trillion
Dollar Change from 2010: 296 Billion
Percentage Change From 2010: 29
Average Net Worth: 4.3 Billion
Average Age: 59
Newcomers: 50
Returnees: 15
Dropouts: 9
Women: 24

Countries With The Most Billionaires
Russia: 101
Germany: 52
United Kingdom: 32
Spain: 15
France: 14
Italy: 14
Sweden: 9
Switzerland: 8
Ukraine: 8
Netherlands: 6

The Richest Top 10 of Europe

Bernard Arnault
Worth: $41 Billion
Source: LVMH
City: Paris

Amancio Ortega
Worth: $31 Billion
Source: Zara
City: La Coruna

Karl Albrecht
Worth: $25.5 Billion
Source: Aldi
City: Mulheim An Der Ruhr

Stefan Persson
Worth: $24.5 Billion
Source: H&M
City: Stockholm

Vladimir Lisin
Worth: $24 Billion
Source: Steel
City: Moscow

Liliane Bettencourt
Worth: $23.5 Billion
Source: L'Oreal
City: Paris

Alexei Mordashov
Worth: $18.5 Billion
Source: Steel
City: Moscow

Michele Ferrero
Worth: $18 Billion
Source: Chocolates
City: Monte Carlo

Mikhail Prokhorov
Worth: $18 Billion
Source: Investments
City: Moscow

Vladimir Potanin
Worth: $17.8 Billion
Source: Metals
City: Moscow

Youngest Billionaire of Europe: Albert von Thurn und Taxis, 27, worth $2 Billion, German Prince


via FORBES

Billionaire Spotlight: Charles & David Koch

Worth: $22 Billion each
Source: Manufacturing
Residence: Wichita, Kansas & New York City, New York

"The nation's richest industrialists had a direct hand in the resurgence of the right during November's midterm elections. Americans for Prosperity, the conservative nonprofit that David founded, spent $45 million bankrolling right-wing candidates, many of them Tea Partiers. Weeks later the billionaire brothers convened their secretive biannual retreat of rich, influential Republican donors at a resort in Palm Springs; Forbes 400 power players Rich DeVos, Ken Langone and Diane Hendricks all reportedly attended to strategize for the 2012 elections. Waiting for them; a thousand protesters (Greenpeace flew a blimp over the rally, its banner reading "Koch Brothers: Dirty Money"). Their tremendous spending power and influence--dubbed "the Kochtopus" by some media--gained further unwanted attention in February after Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker was pranked by a blogger posing as David. When the fake Koch offered to fly the governor to California to thank him for his union-crushing efforts, Walker jumped at the chance."

- AFP outspent the Democratic Governors Association by more than 3-to-1 in the November elections
- A Koch subsidiary contributed $1 million to California's failed Prop. 23, the ballot that would have killed legislation cutting back greenhouse gas emissions
- Charles cofounded libertarian think tank Cato institute
- New York City's richest person, David sits on 25 not-for-profit boards


via FORBES

Behind the Scenes of Captain America 2011

Captain America: The First Avenger is an upcoming 2011 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character Captain America. The film stars Chris Evans as Captain America with Joe Johnston directing a script by David Self, Christopher Markus, Stephen McFeely, and Joss Whedon. The film will be part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and is scheduled for release on July 22, 2011, and is scheduled to be released in 3D.




Censored photos of a Kappa Sigma member on USC's tallest building have exploded on Reddit and at USC

"USC Kappa Sigma fraternity is under investigation again.

Explicit photos have been circulating around the USC community of an unidentified member of Kappa Sigma participating in sexual acts with a woman on the roof of Waite Phillips Hall on Saturday.

The photos have circulated primarily on Reddit.com, where they’ve become one of the most popular items of the past week. As of Monday, the set of pictures had received nearly 800 comments and received more than 1,000 “upvotes,” a Reddit term similar to Facebook’s “Like” feature.

The Interfraternity and Panhellenic Council will meet Monday evening to discuss how they will address and respond to the photos.

The incident happened during the “Anchor Splash” philanthropy event for Delta Gamma sorority.

ATVN has learned that the woman photographed is a student enrolled at UCLA.

DG tells ATVN that no member of the sorority was involved in the incident.

“There is absolutely no relationship between photos that surfaced of two individual participating in sexual activity on a campus rooftop, and our Alpha Nu-USC member or our event,” said USC DG President Paige Selby. “These individuals and situation in question are in no way related to Delta Gamma.”

“Speculation and rumor [sic] to the contrary is unfounded and untrue,” she added.

In a statement given to the Daily Trojan, Zach Timm, president of Kappa Sigma said:

“While the actions that were taken did involve a member of our chapter we, in no way, support this kind of behavior, nor do we promote any other such actions. The member in question has been suspended from Kappa Sigma for conduct unbecoming of a Kappa Sigma and a gentleman until a more detailed investigation can be conducted.”

This is not the first time Kappa Sigma has been under investigation. Earlier this month, a highly controversial, sexist email was sent around to USC students was allegedly linked to the fraternity. According to university officials, a member of Kappa Sigma received the email from a friend at another school before forwarding the email to the Kappa Sigma listserv, which was later circulated to people beyond the fraternity, including other fraternities."

via atvn.org

iPhone survives 1000-foot drop from airplane

"When U.S. Air Force Combat Controller Ron Walker dropped his iPhone 4 more than 1,000 feet out of a plane traveling 150 miles per hour, he was pretty sure his relationship with his phone (unlike his contract with his carrier) had just been terminated.

Walker is a jump master who makes sure the plane is in the right position before handing parachute jumpers over to the mercy of gravity. When he leaned out of the plane somewhere above North Carolina to take a look at landmarks below, he says, his iPhone slipped out to take on a new role as a real-life math and physics SAT question.

Once back on the ground, and with the help of MobileMe, a friend, and an ATV, Walker says he was soon reunited with the phone, which he declares was completely unscathed in its Griffin Motif TPU case. He originally shared his story and photos with iLounge.

Walker says he believes the phone's fall may have been broken by leaves and pine needles in the forested area where it landed (rather than the nearby lake or two-lane highway, fortunately.) The iPhone's survival credibility has also been demonstrated through more wet encounters, but I know a good reason to geek-out algebra style when I see one: if an iPhone 4 is traveling at 150 miles per hour on a 3G network and falls 1,000 feet, when does the plane get to Charleston? And does it drop your call?

Seriously, though, this tale reminded me of the old warning I received about not throwing a penny off the top of a tall building, coupled with the total dearth of human deaths attributed to falling coinage. Me thinks there's more at work here than just a few pine needles...

So I checked in with NASA, which provided me with the primer about falling objects and air resistance I likely slept through in school. There are some rather involved algebraic equations we could use to figure out what happened to that iPhone in the air--if we had all the data, like air density, which we don't.

But here's the thing: When something falls, only two things matter--weight and drag. Weight stays the same, and with an iPhone, it's not much. Drag, on the other hand, increases as an object falls through the air (as does its velocity) until the drag reaches a point equal to the weight of the object. At that point, it stops accelerating.

With something light like a paper or feather, this happens almost immediately. So, with something not too heavy, like an iPhone, it may have happened just a little bit later. In other words, the phone might not have slammed into the forest floor at 3,000 mph. Hell, it may have glided right through those pine needles.

That said, my grandmother still prefers you not throw your iPhones off tall buildings, even if you're still on AT&T."


via cnet.com

How Jay-Z’s built his $450 million Business Empire

Well, he's half way there to making it onto the list of my older billionaire posts. And will he be added to the New York City group of billionaires?

"This is a superstar economy, in which A-listers live large while minor leaguers struggle. Hedge fund managers like John Paulson may rack up big returns, CEOs like Lloyd Blankfein of Goldman, Sachs bag huge compensation packages, and all-star baseball players like Alex Rodriguez ink nine-figure contracts. But few of them can match the combination of fame, public acclaim and monetary value that Shawn Corey Carter has racked up.

Who?

Amid the carnage of the music industry in the past decade, Jay-Z has managed to parlay artistic success into financial fortune valued at up to $450 million, according to Forbes. Jay-Z's many business successes (and few failures) are described in a new book by Forbes writer Zack O'Malley Greenburg, entitled Empire State of Mind: How Jay-Z Went from Street Corner to Corner Office.

In 2010 alone, he earned $63 million, more than all but seven CEOs of public companies, writes Greenburg. While the money came primarily from touring, Jay-Z has a business interests ranging from music to nightclubs, from restaurants to apparel, from sneakers to a chunk of the New Jersey Nets. As Greenburg and I discuss in the video, the Brooklyn native, who spent a chunk of his teens selling drugs before devoting himself full time to rap, has "a unique ability to set trends and profit from them, almost to an astronomical level."

Early on, Jay-Z displayed an acumen for business. In 1994, unable to find a company to produce his debut records, Jay-Z, Damon Dash and a silent partner founded their own label, Roc-A-Fella Records. And when a distributor agreed to take on the album, he negotiated a deal to retain ownership of the master recordings.

In the late 1990s, he discovered that sales of Iceberg apparel rose after he began including references to them in his songs. But when he went to Iceberg and asked for an endorsement deal, the company demurred. Instead, he started his own apparel company, Rocawear. In 2006, Rocawwear was sold to a brand licensing company for $204 million.

There's been much more: a line of sneakers for Reebok, the 40/40 nightclub chain, an ad for Hewlett-Packard, and an interest in the hot New York City gastro pub, The Spotted Pig.

Jay-Z's career and business interests are vivid testimony to the mainstreaming of hip-hop culture. Deals come his way in part because he is, simply put, much cooler and culturally relevant than older guys in suits. It's not simply that he can attract a crowd, but that he lends a kind of legitimacy to all sorts of ventures — including the efforts to build a huge arena/ development to house the New Jersey Nets in Brooklyn. The New Jersey Nets, as Greenburg notes, had long been a second-tier team in the NBA, and an afterthought in New York. Facing political obstacles and community opposition, Nets owner Bruce Ratner offered Jay-Z a small ownership stake in exchange for becoming one of the public faces of the project. Another potential bonus: the other owners thought Jay-Z could help attract top talent like LeBron James to the Nets.

That hasn't quite worked out. And, of course, as is the case with most serial entrepreneurs, Jay-Z has had his share of business setbacks. He spent a fair amount of time last decade working on a Jay-Z Jeep, which fell apart due to issues at Chrysler. A GMC Yukon painted Jay-Z blue never got beyond the concept car stage. As Greenburg notes, the singer makes a strong effort not to highlight failures. "He doesn't want to be seen as anything other than victorious." Greenburg adds: "Even Jay-Z fails, but that doesn't make him any less of a businessman."

So what's next? Despite all his operations, music and performing remain at the core of his business, and of his brand. And here he faces something of a challenge. In rock and pop, it's not uncommon for groups and singers to fill big arenas well into their 60s — the Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney, even Neil Diamond (who is now 70!). But hip-hop is a much younger genre, and Jay-Z is already 41. "He's the first guy who is going to be out there and seeing what the market is for aging rappers," said Greenburg. "But if he wants to tour all the time like the Stones do, he could certainly do that."

Jay-Z has succeeded in part because of a tough-minded mentality that make him insist that he own a part of any operations he's involved with. And that explains in part why he and his team didn't cooperate with this book. When he signed his book contract, Greenburg went to Jay-Z's team, sought interviews, and explained the book as a business success story that "would put him up in the pantheon with Warren Buffett and Steve jobs." Came the response: "What's in it for us?" He didn't want to help with the production of a book that he wouldn't partially own. Besides, he was working on his own book. When it was published last November Decoded debuted as #3 on the New York Times best-seller list."

via yahoo.com

Surfer rides wave for 41.3 miles in Panama Canal

How long do you think you could stand on a surfboard while riding a wave?

Panama's Gary Saavedra, intent on discovering his limitations, surfed a wave created by a boat moving through the Panama Canal for 3 hours, 55 minutes and two seconds, while spanning a distance of 41.3 miles.

The 13-time national surfing champion set Guinness World Records for longest time and distance surfed on open water. (England's Steve King had held the time record: 1 hour, 6 minutes, set while riding a tidal bore wave in 2006. The distance record is new.)

Saavedra, who traversed through choppy water and was rocked constantly by the wakes of giant freighters, said afterward: "This record feels incredible. I had never confronted these conditions and to surpass all these challenges and establish two Guinness records is the biggest achievement of my professional career so far."

Saavedra, a Red Bull sponsored athlete participating in one of the company's projects designed to test human limits, had hoped for a much longer ride but a severe thigh spasm forced him to abandon his quest.

"After the third hour, my body was very tired," he said. "I almost fell eight times. In the first hour, I worked very hard and used all my energy. The weather was harsh ... I had never trained in such conditions."

The unusual odyssey began Saturday at 6:40 a.m. in Gatun Lake within the canal. Saavedra surfed toward the east behind a two-foot wave created by a wakeboarding boat.

The video posted below provides just a glimpse of the operation. If what Saavedra accomplished looks easy, imagine yourself standing on a small board for nearly four hours. Then imagine the board moving atop shifting water, and having to maintain proper position in the wave to maintain speed and avoid falling back into flat water and ending the ride.

Said Michael Janela, a Guinness spokesman who certified the records: "Everyone that breaks a record does something incredible but what Gary did was truly amazing. He pushed himself to an unbelievable limit where the only thing that stopped him was his body, not his will."



via grindtv.com

The 10 Weirdest Traffic Laws

You know the basic traffic laws — stop at a red light, obey the speed limit, don’t drink and drive.

But this is America, land of the free and home of the make-it-up-as-you-go-along, so in addition to the standard traffic laws, there are some weird and wacky ones out there.

Some of them are specific to activities common in that town or state, and some of them make you wonder why someone had to tell you it’s illegal to do that.

10. Screeeeeeeeeeeech!
In Kansas, it is illegal to screech your tires. That's a state law, but there are also local ordinances to back it up.


In Derby, Kansas, for example, it's part of a standard traffic ordinance that any act which causes or creates "unnecessary rapid acceleration, unnecessary tire squeal, skid, smoke or slide upon acceleration or stopping including the casting of tread, gravel, dirt or other road surface materials from the tires" is illegal. Also any acts that "simulate a temporary race."

The penalty is a fine up to $500 and/or imprisonment up to 30 days.

9. Eureka! Wake Up.
In Eureka, California, it is unlawful and an infraction to sleep in any public space. That might make you think park bench, but they go so far as to add that you are not to sleep on any sidewalk, alley or STREET. That’s right, they have to tell you not to sleep in the street.


The offense, should you live to be penalized for it, is classified as a misdemeanor and punishable by a fine up to $1,000 and/or up to six months in jail.

8. Kentucky Doggie
In Fort Thomas, Kentucky, it is illegal for your pet to “molest” a vehicle. Yes, that is the actual, unfortunate legal term used in the city ordinance for “animal-related nuisance.”


The idea of this section is that it is illegal for a pet to cause “annoyance, discomfort or injury to the health and welfare of persons in the community.” The ordinance states that that includes “molesting pedestrians or passing vehicles.”

It is unclear if they were just being thorough or if doggie molestation of cars is common here. In any case, the penalty is that animal-control officers have the right to impound any animal and issue a citation to the owner. Of course, if your dog has a habit of molesting vehicles, you probably already knew you had problems!

The penalty is a fine of up to $500.

Rough! Rough!

7. Dunkin', No Parkin'
Yes, doughnut cravings can be powerful but if you’re in South Berwick, Maine, they can also be expensive. If you park in front of the Dunkin Donuts, you will be ticketed. Specifically, the Dunkin Donuts on Main Street “to a point of 25 feet south.”


No, it’s not so police officers can always be first in line. It’s actually part of a longer list of no-parking zones to “avoid conflict with other traffic.” In this particular case, there’s a school right next door and the road isn’t big enough for parking — parking there would block traffic. Of the seven locations listed in this section of the town ordinance, it’s worth noting that this is the only one that specifically names a business — “No parking in front of the Dunkin Donuts.” They were probably so sick of hearing the excuse “Oh, I’ll just be in and out in five minutes,” that they decided to spell it out — no, seriously, no parking on Main Street IN FRONT OF THE DUNKIN DONUTS.

The penalty is a fine of up to $175 and/or jail time of up to 30 days.

Hope you enjoyed that doughnut!

6. Watch Your Mouth.
If you’re not going to listen to your mother and keep your language clean, you’re going to have to answer to the law in Rockville, Maryland. Here, it’s illegal to swear within earshot of other people, whether you’re on a street, sidewalk or highway
. That means even if you’re in your car, you’re going to have to use your talking-in-front-of-the-kids voice.

The penalty is a fine up to $100 and/or jail time up to 90 days.

Dang, that’s tough!

5. Keep It Clean
This time we’re not talking about your language — we’re talking about your car. In Minnetonka, Minnesota, it is considered a public nuisance, and therefore illegal for “a truck or other vehicle whose wheels or tires deposit mud, dirt, sticky substances, litter or other material on any street or highway.”


All violations of the Minnetonka code are subject to fines up to $2,000 but a spokesperson for the city said the city “attempts several other measures to mitigate the situation before pursuing misdemeanor charges.”

4. Keep It On
This is also something you shouldn’t have to tell people outside of a nude beach but in Sag Harbor, New York, it is illegal to take your clothes off in your car.


Sag Harbor, out in the tony Hamptons section of Long Island, is a popular spot for beachgoers. So, this section of the code is part of the parks and recreation law — that you have to be wearing a bathing suit in public and you can’t disrobe on the street or in your car or in any public place.

The penalty is a fine of up to $100 and/or jail time up to three months.

3. Just Roll With It
Roller skating may seem like a harmless hobby but if you do it in the street in Canton, Ohio (other than crossing the street, of course) — that’s illegal.


That section of the Canton code also applies to “any coaster, toy vehicle, skateboard or similar device.”

The penalty is a fine up to $1,000 and up to six months in jail.

How much allowance would you have to save up to pay off a $1,000 fine?!

2. Time's Up!
In Oregon, no dilly-dallying with your car door: It’s illegal to leave a vehicle door open on the side of traffic, pedestrians or bicycles “for a period of time longer than necessary to load or unload passengers.”


The penalty is a fine of $90 and possible jail time.

Ready … set … time’s up!

1. Rats
In Hilton Head, South Carolina, it is illegal to store trash in your car.


Specifically, that section of the code states that it it’s unlawful “to place, leave, dump or permit to accumulate any garbage, rubbish or trash in any building, vehicle and their surrounding areas in the town so that the same shall or may afford food or harborage for rats.”

A violation is consider a public nuisance and is subject to a fine of up to $500 and/or jail time of up to 30 days.


via yahoo.com

Wiz Khalifa's "No Sleep" Is No. 1 On The iTunes Top 100

"No Sleep" is an obvious standout from Wiz Khalifa's Rolling Papers, but this is crazy - the song hit iTunes the other day, and it is already the number one song in the country, according to the iTunes Top 100. The party-all-night anthem was produced by Benny Blanco, who is no stranger to hits (he's produced for Britney Spears, Ke$ha, Katy Perry, etc.). Khalifa's album will be in stores March 29.

Wiz Khalifa will also be appearing in concert with Mac Miller in Detroit next week. I'll be sure to take a video and post it up here.

Monday, March 28, 2011

Eminem Expected To Gain Additional $30 Million From Royalty Lawsuit

The Supreme Court's refusal to hear Universal Music Group's appeal of an ongoing digital royalty lawsuit could boost the value of Eminem's digital catalogue.

Eminem was not a participant in the landmark lawsuit against Universal Music Group that named him as a plaintiff, but he will most likely see his net worth significantly grow after the Supreme Court refused to hear the case last week.

“As of now it’s worth $17 million or $20 million, but on a future accounting basis, five or 10 years from now, it could easily be a $40 million to $50 million issue,” F.B.T. Productions’ manager Joel Martin told the New York Times. After initially signing Em, F.B.T. continues to collect royalties on his music; the Detroit-based production outfit initiated the digital royalty lawsuit against Aftermath, Interscope and Universal Music Group.

Representatives from Universal stated the case would not set a legal precedent when UMG appealed the initial ruling in September of 2009. But older artists, who didn’t originally have digital royalty clauses in their contracts, are hoping otherwise.

“This is life-changing,” Joyce Moore, the wife of Sam Moore of Sam & Dave, told the Times. The song “Soul Man” is just one of the songs from Moore’s catalogue that is getting royalties at the old 12% rate. “If we were being paid a nickel a download, as opposed to 35 cents—that’s a huge amount of money for a guy that is on a fixed income or has to run up and down the road at 75 years old.”

Despite dwindling overall sales, many labels still bring in tens of millions annually from music contained in older catalogues. But the advent of digital downloads and the legal language over how their royalties are split has been a major sticking point. In addition to F.B.T.’s suit against UMG, The Allman Brothers and Cheap Trick sued Universal and Sony BMG over similar royalty issues.

via hiphopdx.com

SEX EDUCATION 2011 pt. 3

Finally, the last part of the sex education survey (I apologize it's much shorter than the previous two parts)!

33% of women say you should never ask a woman why she's single

Which is the following is the most likely to bring you to orgasm?
Oral sex: 44.1%
Nipple sucking and fondling: 8.8%
P in your V: 35.8%
A third season of Glee: 1.8%
Other: 9.5

23% of women have had--and enjoyed--anal sex

How long do you want sex to last (foreplay plus penetration)?
Up to 20 minutes: 7.2%
Up to 30 minutes: 32.9%
Up to an hour: 23.0%
Up to 45 minutes: 28.3%
Over an hour: 8.7%

On a first date, 70% would rather have dinner or drinks than do something active like dancing

96% of women will give a guy a second chance in bed if he sucks the first time

Gamer Rage

Came across this video, figured I would share to everyone:



I can't imagine going this crazy while playing a video game.

US Billionaires: By The Numbers

Miscellaneous US Billionaire information


Cities with the most billionaires:
New York City, 58
Los Angeles, 18
Dallas, 17
San Franciso, 17
Chicago, 12
Houston, 11
Fort Worth, 8
Greenwich, 8
Palm Beach, 8
Palo Alto, 8



Top Ten US Billionaires

Bill Gates
Worth: $56 Billion
Source: Microsoft
City: Medina, Washington

Warren Buffett
Worth: $50 Billion
Source: Berkshire Hathaway
City: Omaha, Nebraska

Larry Ellison
Worth: $39.5 Billion
Source: Oracle
City: Woodside, California

Christy Walton
Worth: $26.5 Billion
Source: Wal-Mart
City: Jackson, Wyoming

Sheldon Adelson
Worth: $23.3 Billion
Source: Casinos
City: Las Vegas, Nevada

Charles Koch
Worth: $22 Billion
Source: Diversified
City: Wichita, Kansas

David Koch
Worth: $22 Billion
Source: Diversified
City: New York, New York

Jim Walton
Worth: $21.3 Billion
Source: Wal-Mart
City: Bentonville, Arkansas

Alice Walton
Worth: $21.2 Billion
Source: Wal-Mart
City: Fort Worth, Texas

S. Robson Walton
Worth: $21 Billion
Source: Wal-Mart
City: Bentonville, Arkansas



Where Is The Money From?
Of the 413 US Billionaires, 285 are self-made, while 77 inherited their wealth.
Self-Made, 69%
Inherited, 19%
Both, 12%


CASH FLOW

Billionaire Spotlight: Richard Branson

Worth: $4.2 billion
Source: Virgin
Residence: London

"Asked about his passion for attacking big problems in the developing world, Branson says: 'A waiter at my game reserve, Ulusaba, in South Africa, wrote a very strong poem before he died of AIDS that had a huge impact on me. It said, AIDS is not a disease, it is a way that is on Africa.' He spent his final days expressing concern about his governments attitude on HIV and AIDS. And I felt in his honor I needed to do something. So my wife and I decided to get tested for HIV in front of everybody in order to encourage others in South Africa to do the same. Then we helped set up a public-private partnership with the US government, Anglo American Thermal Coal, Ndlovu Medical Centre and Virgin Unite. It's called the Bhubezi Community Healthcare Centre, and it's based in a small community of Mpumalanga which has about 100,000 people. The clinic provides basic health care for those suffering from TB, HIV, and AIDS."

- His space tourism venture, Virgin Galactic, recently announced a deal to fly scientists into space to carry out experiments and reseach.
-Launched US nonprofit the Carbon War Room, aiming to cut carbon emissions by getting businesses like shipping giant Maersk to pledge CO2 transparency
- With fellow billionaire Vinod Khosia, he's backing biofuels firm Gevo, which raised $107 million in February public offering

Felix Dennis - Onetime billionaire

I came across a great interview from Forbes with Felix Dennis; a British magazine publisher, poet, and philanthropist. He owns Dennis Publishing, and I'm sure you've subscribed to some of his magazines at some point, and at the very least, read through one.

FORBES: "Is starting a company still the best way to get rich? Haven't hedge fund managers and bankers disproved that?"

Dennis: "Yes, ther eare certain professions, the financial sector being on eof them, where you are massively overpaid. But those days--I'm not saying they've ended, but those days are ending. Anybody who goes into college now and thinks, 'I'm going to join the equivalent of what Bear Stearns was, and I'm going to get rich just by loaning other people's money and taking huge plunges, and if I'm wrong I don't lose anything'--well, that might've worked in the 1990s, but it's not going to work now, brother. Those bankers you're talking about, they've not part of a virtuous circle. They are pond life. Whatever an entrepreneur is, she or he is not pond life. They have meaning. And without wishing to sound pompous, they are part of what made America great."

FORBES: "So much entrepreneurial activity revolves around technology, but you have a reputation as a Luddite."

Dennis: "I have never sent an e-mail and don't know how to do so, and I will never learn. About 70% of e-mails are ass-covering. People send them to one another so they can say, 'Oh, but I told you.' Nor do I own any portable communication devices. I don't want anyone to know where I am. It's none of their business."

FORBES: "Readers who know your biography--iconoclast, poet, polyamorist, ex-crack smoker--may be surprised by how conservative your advice is. There are chapters on frugality and dressing for success."

Dennis: "I'm willing to sacrifice anything on the altar. Later on they can walk around in negligees in the office, when they're hugely successful. Absolutely no one would care if Steve Jobs walked around the office in a negligee. That's a good thought, isn't it?"

Well, to sum it up, it appears Dennis is an ex-crack smoking genius. How often do you see that? I'm going to give his book, The Narrow Road, a good read through to see if there's as much substance in it as he says.



Side note: According to Wikipedia, Dennis also went on to squander over $100 million dollars on drugs and women through his crack cocaine addiction.

Sunday, March 27, 2011

How badly could a 100 mph fastball hurt you?

According to Jon Divine, MD, the head team physician at the University of Cincinnati, being hit with a 100 mph pitch would hurt. A lot. In math-speak the force of the blow is equal to the mass of the ball, multiplied by the time it takes for the pitch to decelerate from 100 mph to zero. That's 5,600 lb.-ft. of force hitting in .05 seconds.

As far as specific body parts, taking a pitch to the temple can result in a skull fracture, injury to the brain, and potentially fatal intracranial bleeding.

But strangely, the most vulnerable area isn't your dome but the chest wall. If you're hit there at precisely the wrong moment--the brief 0.1-0.2 seconds between heartbeats--the impact can cause the heart to beat erratically and ineffectively, arrhythmia, which is often deadly.

Batter up!

SEX EDUCATION 2011 pt. 2

Continuation of the survey, part 2 of 3.

When is it ok for a guy to make a move?
Whenever, as long as he's sure I'm into him 71.3%
Only at the end of the first date 7.6%
Only after two or more dates 17.1%
I prefer to make the first move 4.1%

First-time sex should be...
Gentle as a summer breeze 56.9%
Like riding a bucking bronco on a roller coaster 43.1%

You would rather be with a guy who is...
Lousy in bed but amazing in every other way 86.6%
Amazing in bed but lousy in every other way 13.4%

Is it possible for you to have no strings attached sex?
Sure, I'm as horny and commitmentphobic as a dude 48.4%
No, I always end up wanting more from the guy 51.4%

If a guy is interested in NSA sex, should he tell you before you get busy?
Yes, I'd appreciate the chance to walk away if that's not what I want 90.3%
No, it would only ruin the fun 9.7%

What would you like more of during sex?
Foreplay 39.6%
Oral sex 17.7%
Eye contact 6.1%
Dirty talk 10.0%
Spanking and rough play 16.6%
Vibrators and toys 3.9%
Elaborate roleplay scenarios 0.9%
Other 5.1%

What dirty talk is off limits?
The C-word 22.4%
Bitch/whore 38.0%
Asking me about your penis 6.3%
All of it 15.9%
None of it 17.4%

During sex you fantasize about
The man you're with 73.7%
Another man you know 6.0%
A male celeb 3.3%
A girl 4.9%
An orgy 4.3%
Other 6.9%

SEX EDUCATION 2011

Came across an interesting sex survey today. Post 1 of 3.

Check the statistics:

All from womens perspective:

What is the best place to meet you?
Work 9.6%
School 16.1%
Bar or club 9.2%
Internet 5.7%
Through mutual friends 53.0%
Church 0.9%
World of Warcraft 0.5%
Other 5.0%

What is the best way for a guy to break the ice?
Offer you a compliment 9.7%
Make a joke 40.6%
Introduce himself 45.9%
Start singing 'You've lost that lovin' feeling" 1.0%
Other 2.8%

What's the biggest potential turnoff when first meeting a man?
Bad hygiene 36.0%
Attention-seeking behavior 19.1%
Extreme shyness 4.3%
Off-color remarks 9.3%
"Pickup artist" tactics such as backhanded compliments 21.0%
Talk of his ex 5.5%
A sixth finger 0.8%
Other 3.9%

What is the biggest turn on when meeting a man?
Gentlemanly behavior, like opening doors 27.8%
Lots of eye contact 18.9%
He asks a lot of questions about me 11.9%
Playful teasing 37.2%
Physical contact 4.2%

What's the best indication that you're into a guy you've just met?
I touch his arm or leg during conversation 22.4%
I don't pull away if he touches me 21.3%
I play with my hair 4.8%
I laugh at everything he says 11.5%
I tease him good naturedly 38.8%
I grab his penis 1.2%

What is the best oral sex technique?
Switching up speed and pressure 27%
One that incorporate your fingers 34.3%
Making the same motion over and over, with constant speed and pressure 17.5%
I'm not fussy. Just get down there 16.5%
Other 4.7%

The most popular position with 31% of the vote, is doggie style.
Other options:
Missionary 23.8%
Girl on top 27.1%
Reverse cowgirl 2.2%
Spooning 4.7%
Standing 2.5%
69 1.6%
Other 6.1%

Should a man always pay for a first date?
Yes 49.4%
No 24.4%
Only if he expects to go on a second date 26.2%

Which celebrity is your "type"?
James Franco 38.8%
Ryan Reynolds 48.6%
Jason Schwartzman 8.6%
Kanye West 1.6%
Mark Sanchez 5.9%
DJ Pauly D 1.4%




This will be a 3-part post

ARE YOU IN OR OUT?

I just saw the movie Brotherhood (it came out last year, directed by Will Canon, starring that guy from Tenderness and Mysteries of Pittsburgh).  I was honestly very surprised how good the movie turned out to be.  Great acting, great story and plot.  I won't ruin anything about the movie for you, but it's a pretty wild thriller film based in the guys' college years.  Give it a shot, yo!