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Python Bursts After Trying to Eat Gator

 

MIAMI - The alligator has some foreign competition at the top of the

Everglades food chain, and the results of the struggle are horror-movie

messy.

 

A 13-foot Burmese python recently burst after it apparently tried to swallow

a live, six-foot alligator whole, authorities said.

 

The incident has heightened biologists' fears that the nonnative snakes could

threaten a host of other animal species in the Everglades.

 

"It means nothing in the Everglades is safe from pythons, a top-down

predator," said Frank Mazzotti, a University of Florida wildlife professor.

 

Over the years, many pythons have been abandoned in the Everglades by pet

owners.

 

The gory evidence of the latest gator-python encounter ‹ the fourth

documented in the past three years ‹ was discovered and photographed last

week by a helicopter pilot and wildlife researcher.

 

The snake was found with the gator's hindquarters protruding from its

midsection. Mazzotti said the alligator may have clawed at the python's

stomach as the snake tried to digest it.

 

In previous incidents, the alligator won or the battle was an apparent draw.

 

"There had been some hope that alligators can control Burmese pythons,"

Mazzotti said. "This indicates to me it's going to be an even draw. Sometimes

alligators are going to win and sometimes the python will win."

 

Pic:

 

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/object/article?f...4031D68.DTL&o=0

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HAHAH STUPID PYTHONS :D the picture confuses me. which is the snake and which is the aligator? OHHH so the python was snapped in half by the alligator? oh well shit happens

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>From The Boston Herald 10/14/05:

 

 

A Rockport man allegedly murdered his girlfriend the night before he

was to go to trial for assaulting her, then holed up in their home for

two weeks, sharing a sofa with her corpse while he watched TV,

authorities say.

 

John D. MacKenzie, 45, of 249 Main St. claims that after watching the

Patriots beat the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sept. 25, he helped Wendy L.

Cox kill herself by suffocating her with a pillow and a dry-cleaning

bag in the bedroom of their quaint, sunflower-yellow home, police say.

 

Later, MacKenzie posted a note on the back door saying they were away,

wrapped Cox's body in blankets and brought it downstairs to an L-shaped

living-room couch, where an unidentified friend found MacKenzie late

Wednesday night sitting with the corpse and watching TV.

 

 

"I could smell the odor," said Joe Mustone, who was hired to replace

the window the victim's friend broke to get inside after she hadn't

heard from Cox in more than two weeks. ``Nothing like this happens

around here. I'm upset someone that insane was living among us.''

 

 

MacKenzie told investigators he and Cox, 35, had been dating about 18

months, police said. She had tried unsuccessfully to kill herself in

the past, he told them, so after watching the game ``he helped her,''

the police report said. ``When he first tried to suffocate her he only

used the pillow...Cox laughed at him and said she could still breathe

so a plastic bag was put around her head and then the pillow.''

 

 

Police found a suicide note, which MacKenzie told them was from a prior

attempt.

 

 

Cox's family declined to comment.

 

 

The couple's relationship was apparently troubled.

 

 

One friend said MacKenzie drew Cox into his swinging ``sex-swapping

lifestyle,'' even though MacKenzie claimed he was trying to help her

straighten out her life.

 

 

In a police statement four months before her death, Cox described an

incident in which she said, ``He beat the crap out of me, tossed me

around like a rag doll, grabbed me around my throat and threw me down

the steps.'' But she declined to get a restraining order.

 

 

A friend said MacKenzie graduated from Beverly High School and went on

to work at APS Imaging in Woburn. He liked to drink, the man said, and

was on the verge of his second divorce. The suspect's landlord, Alan

Battistelli, said MacKenzie moved in to his Rockland home in March

2004, paid his rent on time and seemed to keep the house clean.

 

 

"It's a total shock," said MacKenzie's first wife, Maureen S. Madigan.

The couple, who divorced in 1996, have four children together, ages 17,

15, 13 and 12.

 

 

Citing ``cruel and abusive'' treatment, Madigan filed for divorce after

learning MacKenzie had run an embezzlement and money-laundering scheme

involving a former employer. MacKenzie was convicted of the crime and

sentenced to serve time at Allenwood Federal Prison Camp in Montgomery,

Pa.

 

 

MacKenzie's second wife, Joanne, declined to comment except to say,

``It's been a long day.''

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(CNN.COM)Tussle with Tonya :D Man arrested after alleged assault on former skaterVANCOUVER, Wash. (AP) -- Tonya Harding tussled in her home with a man she described as her boyfriend, prompting an emergency call by the figure skater-turned-boxer and an arrest of the man.Christopher Nolan was charged with assault and pleaded not guilty Monday. He told deputies Harding threw him down and bit his finger when he said she had too much to drink on Sunday. The 27-year-old Nolan was ordered to stay away from Harding and to avoid alcohol. Harding had a small cut over her right eye and an abrasion on her left cheek.Initially, Harding called 911 and said she was attacked by two masked men who came to her home and assaulted her before she could escape.Nolan said he and Harding were roommates.The 34-year-old Harding was banned for life from competitive figure skating after her former husband hired a hitman to club rival Nancy Kerrigan with a baton as Kerrigan left the ice during practice at the 1994 U.S. championships in Detroit.The attack prevented Kerrigan from competing, but she recovered to win a silver medal at the 1994 Olympics weeks later. Harding finished out of the running.More recently, Harding has tried her hand at pro boxing to mixed reviews.

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News-Medical.Net Teenager died after having his lip pierced Miscellaneous News Published: Monday, 14-Nov-2005 A 17 year old British boy has died after having his lip pierced.At an inquest into his death the dangers of body piercing were underlined by a coroner following the death of the student from blood poisoning two months after having a ring put through his lip.The Sheffield inquest concluded that was the most likely cause of Daniel Hindley, 17, falling ill and dying from circulatory failure.Apparently though Mr Hindley, of Richmond, Sheffield, had a heart defect he was leading a normal life.Coroner Christopher Dorries, said that any wound carried a risk of infection, and those vulnerable to infection need to understand that it is not just adults trying to stop their fun, there can be very real risks to body piercing.The jury returned a verdict of misadventure and concluded that Mr Hindley died from complications caused by severe septicaemia.Mr Dorries is contacting the Health and Safety Executive and the Association of Environmental Health Officers to make them aware of the circumstances of the death in December 2002.At the inquest Mr Hindley's girlfriend, Naomi Storey, 21, said that she had had her eyebrow pierced at the same time and that the assistant had removed the cap of the needle with her teeth.Following the hearing, Mr Hindley's mother, Christina Anderson, 44, said she hoped her son's death would make anyone considering body piercing stop and think twice about the risks.

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(MSNBC.COM)Australian prostitutes working into their 70sCompetition from younger sex workers pushes them into rural areasCANBERRA, Australia - Prostitutes as old as 70 continue to work in rural Australia, pushed out of the cities due to strong competition from younger and more attractive sex workers, the author of a study said on Tuesday.Brothels are legal across most of Australia, but states have strict laws against soliciting and running brothels in residential areas, and near churches or schools.The research, by John Scott of the University of New England, examined prostitution in rural areas of New South Wales state. He found the sex industry has flourished in rural towns, with many prostitutes making regular visits. "I've likened some of them to traveling musicians, in that some of them might be based in metropolitan centers and they go out and travel — they tour the bush," Scott told Reuters.He said a sex worker might pass through a country town every couple of months, but would advertise in advance and book up appointments. He said sex workers in rural areas tended to be older, and provide more companionship than city sex workers."In a business that is based on looks and age a lot of the time, it became increasingly hard for workers as they progressed in age," Scott said."If they had been in the business for 20 or 30 years, as a couple were, they found themselves increasingly working further away from the metropolitan centers."Scott examined ads in rural newspapers and talked to sex workers for his study. He said the oldest sex worker he spoke to was 58 years old, but those interviewed reported working with older women in their 60s and one as old as 70.Scott said rural clients tended to be more polite, and be interested in company as well as sex."A lot of the time these blokes just want a bit of a cuddle, or to talk," he said.

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PM 'eats babies' sign flashed at commuters

 

By Stefanie Kranjec

Tue May 2, 4:03 PM ET

 

TORONTO (Reuters) - A mocking announcement about Canada's prime minister, "Stephen Harper Eats Babies," was flashed on electronic advertising signs on Toronto area commuter trains for several days, and technicians were still scrambling on Tuesday to get the signs fixed.

 

"Stephen Harper Eats Babies. Stephen Harper Eats Babies. Stephen Harper Eats Babies," started to appear every three seconds across some LED screens late last week. The signs usually carry transit updates and advertising spots.

 

"It appears that this was a case of electronic vandalism," said Stephanie Sorensen, corporate communications and media specialist for the GO Transit commuter system. "We assume it was a hacker. We haven't identified the person who did this but we're working closely with the contractor who runs the signs to fix the problem."

 

Screens on GO Trains have been shut down since Monday. Sorensen said she expects they will remain off line for a few more days until password-protected technology is installed to protect them from computer hackers.

 

"We regret that it happened and we're sorry if anybody was offended, including the prime minister," Sorensen said.

 

GO Transit carries 47 million passengers every year on its network of buses and trains in the Toronto region.

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UK NewsA sunbed user 'Her Body Was Swollen' A faulty sunbed shocked a woman unconscious and left her with 65% burns, a court has heard.Melanie Wraith, 35, suffered an electric shock when the canopy of a machine she was using collapsed.She lost consciousness but woke up more than two-and-a-half hours later and raised the alarm.Ms Wraith, from Leek, Staffordshire, stopped breathing and had to be revived in the ambulance, as she was taken to hospital.She was later transferred to a specialist burns unit in Birmingham, where she remained for two days.Staffordshire trading standard spokesman said Ms Wraith had hired the sunbed from Terrence Howells' firm Supertan.Howells, 51, pleaded guilty to charges under safety and consumer protection acts, at Newcastle-under-Lyme Magistrates' Court.Prosecutor Nicolas Cole described the trauma she had suffered after setting the time for 12 minutes and climbing on to the bed."Ms Wraith was in shock, she was given morphine for her pain and had to have a catheter inserted in her bladder," he said."Her body was swollen and she had a loss of feeling in her right hand caused by the electric shock."Magistrate Cynthia Leech adjourned the case for reports but told Howells, from Stoke-on-Trent, he may be sent to prison.

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Oldest mum: It's a boy! By CLODAGH HARTLEYTHE doctor who is to become Britain’s oldest mum at 63 proudly showed off her bump yesterday — and beamed: “It’s a boy.” Seven-months pregnant Patricia Rashbrook shared her joy with the world after The Sun exclusively revealed she was having an IVF baby thanks to controversial treatment abroad.Facing the world’s cameras outside her home — and with her husband at her side — she declared: “I feel fit and healthy. I’m delighted with the pregnancy.”The consultant child psychiatrist, speaking publicly for the first time about her desperation to have a fourth child, stressed: “This has not been an endeavour undertaken lightly or without courage.“A great deal of thought has been given to planning and providing for the child’s present and future wellbeing — medically, socially and materially.”Her hubby John Farrant, 61, smiled as she stressed: “We just want everyone to know that we take our responsibility for the child very seriously.“We are very happy to have given life to an already much-loved baby, and our wish now is to give him the peace and security he needs.“We take our responsibility very seriously and regard the best interests of the child as paramount. We would wish now to be allowed the right to pursue our family life.” Patricia conceived after she and John — her second husband — sought the help of maverick Italian IVF specialist Professor Severino Antinori. The couple, of Lewes, East Sussex, wed in September 2003. John, an academic, had never been a dad.Patricia, who has three grown-up children from her first marriage, was determined to give him the baby he always longed for.She became pregnant by IVF at the FIRST attempt.Yesterday the couple said they were grateful for the “warm support” of family and friends — despite one relative branding Patricia “mad”.Her dad Leonard, 93, said he was “100 per cent” behind the parents-to-be — although he confessed: “I met the news with a sense of astonishment.” The former British Gas district manager admitted: “I am a little worried by the age question.“It certainly is a very bold move.”But he insisted: “I’m sure she knows what she’s doing.“She’s been through childbirth three times before.”Mr Rashbrook, of Winchester, Hants, added: “My daughter is a consultant child psychiatrist and she has always been very interested in children.“She already has three other children, so it’s remarkable that she’s going to have another at the age of 63.“At the end of the day it’s a family matter. But if this is what she wants I respect her decision.” Patricia’s cousin-in-law Valerie Rashbrook, 63, said: “I think she’s mad.”Valerie, who lives in Brighton, said: “I think my views are the same as what everybody else is thinking.“I’m the same age as Patricia.“When I look after my grandchildren I’m tired after ten minutes because of all the mischief they cause.“I really don’t know how she’s going to manage looking after a newborn child.”Patricia’s husband John admitted to The Sun he did have concerns.He told how he had recently read about a child born to parents who were both 50. John said: “The child, now a grown-up, said he had spent his teenage years worrying about when he would have to arrange his parents’ funerals.“Things like that do affect us. But we have thought this through and we are delighted we are doing the right thing.”The record for Britain’s oldest mum is currently held by Liz Buttle. She was 60 when she had a son in 1997.

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3,738 Mothers Set Breast-Feeding Record By The Associated Press MANILA, Philippines - Nearly 4,000 mothers set a world record this week for the largest number of women simultaneously breast-feeding their babies in the same place, organizers said. Manila Mayor Lito Atienza, whose city is one of the event's organizers, said 3,738 mothers simultaneously breast-fed their babies for at least one minute, breaking the Guinness World Record.The result will be submitted to Guinness for evaluation.The United Nations Children's Fund said the previous record was held by the City of Berkeley, California, where 1,135 mothers simultaneous breast-fed babies for a minute on Aug. 3, 2002.The event was also held to raise awareness about the benefits of breast-feeding, organizers said.Dr. Nicholas Alipui, UNICEF representative to the Philippines, said breast-feeding can help curb malnutrition in children under two years old, provide children with antibodies to fight diseases and boost the country's economy because families save on infant formula.

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Family Kicked Out of Buffet Restaurant

 

Fri May 5, 5:36 PM ET

 

 

DES MOINES, Iowa - Wendy Dershem may think twice before leaving that

egg roll on her plate at her next Chinese buffet. The Des Moines woman,

her boyfriend and her two children were kicked out of a restaurant last

week after management accused her of leaving too much food on her

plate.

 

 

"They told us we are not welcome there anymore," said Dershem, a repeat

customer at the Dragon House buffet. "We waste too much food. But the

buffet is all you can eat. And you know kids. They won't always eat

everything and they want something else."

 

Dershem said she paid her $5.95 fee on Saturday but was abruptly told

to leave after eating one plate of food.

 

Employees said they had been watching her family on previous trips to

the restaurant and were fed up with her habits.

 

"They just take one bite and throw it away," said cashier Lin Huyen.

"They take four egg rolls and crab ragoon, take one bite of egg roll

and throw the whole plate. That is wasting food."

 

Dershem said she was shocked by the scolding and complained to

management when she paid her check. "It was embarrassing. ... If it's a

one-stop buffet, post it," she said.

 

Dragon House manager Kent Cao said his restaurant offers all you can

eat buffet, not all you can waste. Dershem's family took food, didn't

finish it and then piled on the same food again, he said.

 

"Shes done that too many times," Cao said. "We would welcome her back

if she has respect and knows what she wants."

 

Bob Oberbillig, an adjunct professor at the Drake Legal Clinic, says

the patron would have no legal case against exclusion from a business

unless there are other factors such as racial discrimination or mental

health issues.

 

"An establishment can exclude people if they smoke or waste food," he

said. "It's still a private business."

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This is pretty cool...

 

Obese man ends cross-country health trek

100 pounds lighter, Steve Vaught revels in journey as much as destination

 

AP - May 9, 2006

 

NEW YORK - Steve Vaught didn't count each mile he walked or weigh himself every day along the way. And as he completed the final leg of his trek across America, he said making it to New York City from California on foot was only part of his story.

 

"I'm glad that I'm here, but for me it's never been about the destination," he said as he crossed the George Washington Bridge from New Jersey to Manhattan more than a year after he began the trip to lose weight and find happiness. "It's been about the journey."

 

Vaught, 40, began the roughly 3,000-mile trek from his Oceanside, Calif., home to Manhattan on April 10, 2005, when he was 410 pounds and suffering from severe depression after he accidentally killed two elderly pedestrians while driving 15 years ago.

 

He ended the journey Tuesday about 100 pounds lighter.

 

Along the way, Vaught slept in tents and motels and went through 15 pairs of shoes, more than 30 pairs of socks and six backpacks. But he didn't travel with a pedometer or measure the food he ate, and he said he aimed to change his behavior — not just his weight.

 

"This is not about obsessing about numbers, or times, or dates, or miles," he said. "It's just about going on a walk and sort of having time to get things straight."

 

Vaught chronicled his progress on a Web site, thefatmanwalking.com, which lists the names of dozens of supporters in 26 states. His trip attracted the attention of documentary filmmakers and national television, and he plans to write a book about his experiences.

 

Kudos for ‘the walking dude’

As Vaught began walking the span from New Jersey to Manhattan on Tuesday evening with a flock of cameras and reporters, a passing bicyclist yelled, "Hey, that's the walking dude! Congratulations! Good job!"

 

Nicoline Biggio, who went to see him complete his journey, said her husband has been following Vaught's progress but was missing the finale because he was out of town.

 

"I think it's great that he's finished his goal," Biggio said. "So few of us actually keep them."

 

Vaught posed for photographs on the bridge with the New York City skyline in the background and standing in front of the "Welcome to New York, the Empire State" sign. Once he reached the other side — his final destination — he spoke to reporters for a few minutes on the street before being picked up by a black sedan that was to take him to a hotel.

 

His first plan, he said, was to "put on some new socks."

Edited by cutielb99

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Awkward moments abound in penis pump trial By SHAUN SCHAFER, Associated Press Writer BRISTOW, Okla. - Serving on the jury in an indecent-exposure trial unfolding in this conservative Oklahoma town has been a giggle-inducing experience. Former Judge Donald D. Thompson, a veteran of 23 years on the bench, is on trial on charges he used a penis pump on himself in the courtroom while sitting in judgment of others.Over the past few days, the jurors have watched a defense attorney and a prosecutor pantomime masturbation. A doctor has lectured on the lengths the defendant was willing to go to enhance his sexual performance.The white-handled sexual device sits before the jury box for hours at a time. Occasionally an attorney picks it up and squeezes the handle, demonstrating the "sh-sh" sound of air rushing through the contraption's plastic tubing.The jurors sometimes exchange awkward looks and break into nervous laughter when the testimony takes a lurid turn.Thompson, 59, is charged with four counts of indecent exposure, each punishable by up to 10 years in prison. If convicted, he would also have to register as a sex offender, and his $7,489.91-a-month pension would be in jeopardy.Thompson's former court reporter, Lisa Foster, wiped away tears as she described tracing an unfamiliar "sh-sh" in the courtroom to her boss. She testified that between 2001 and 2003 she saw Thompson expose himself at least 15 times."I was really shocked and I was kind of scared because it was so bizarre," said Foster.She testified that during a trial in 2002, she heard the pump during the emotional testimony of a murdered toddler's grandfather.The grandfather "was getting real teary-eyed, and the judge was up there pumping on that pump," she said. "It was sickening."The allegations came to light after a police officer who was in Thompson's court heard pumping sounds and took photos of the device during a break in the proceedings.Thompson took the stand in his own defense, saying the device was a gag gift from a longtime friend with whom he had joked about erectile dysfunction. He said he kept the pump under the bench or in his office but didn't use it."In 20-20 hindsight, I should have thrown it away," he said.The R-rated testimony has produced occasional outbursts of laughter and surreal scenes. A man who once served as a juror in Thompson's court testified that he never saw the device, but figured out what it was based on movies he had seen.The comment sent sidelong glances through the courtroom."It sounded like a penis pump to me," Daniel Greenwood testified. He said he had seen such devices in "Austin Powers" and "Dead Man on Campus."Dr. S. Edward Dakil, a urologist called as an expert witness, repeatedly prompted laughter from the jury when discussion turned to the penis pump. Dakil defended use of the device after defense attorney Clark Brewster said it was an out-of-date treatment for erectile dysfunction."I still use those," Dakil testified. Brewster paused. "Not you, personally?" he asked. "No," Dakil responded as jurors laughed. "I recommend those as a urologist."

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Blogger's quest ends with keys to house

By BRIAN BERGSTEIN, AP Technology Writer

Mon Jul 10, 2:32 PM ET

 

Taking a paper clip and turning it into a house sounds like a cheesy magic trick or a phony instance of resourcefulness on the 1980s TV show "MacGyver."

 

Kyle MacDonald, however, has pulled it off.

 

One year ago, the 26-year-old blogger from Montreal set out to barter one red paper clip for something and that thing for something else, over and over again until he had a house.

 

On Wednesday the quest is ending as envisioned: MacDonald is due to become the proud owner of a three-bedroom, 1,100-square-foot home provided by the town of Kipling, Saskatchewan. MacDonald and his girlfriend, Dominique Dupuis, expect to move there in early September.

 

"This is such a cool community project. It feels right," MacDonald said. "And now that I think about it, I can't believe that another small town didn't think of it. It will literally put them on the map."

 

What's in it for the town? The answer requires a quick MacDonald recap, featuring a menagerie of friendly folks, radio talk show hosts and aging celebrities, all bound together by the Internet.

 

It began when MacDonald, an aspiring writer, doer of odd jobs and apartment dweller, advertised in the barter section of the Craigslist Web site that he wanted something bigger or better for one red paper clip. He traded it for a fish-shaped pen, and posted on Craigslist again and again.

 

Roaming Canada and the United States, he exchanged the pen for a ceramic knob, and in turn: a camping stove, a generator, a beer keg and Budweiser sign, a snowmobile, a trip to the Canadian Rockies, a supply truck and a recording contract. Next, in April, he got himself really close, obtaining a year's rent in Phoenix.

 

His adventure became an Internet blockbuster. He did Canadian and Japanese TV and "Good Morning America." He made dozens of local radio appearances — one of which, in Los Angeles, was heard by a man who ended up as a pivotal figure.

 

That man is Corbin Bernsen. You may remember him from his roles in "L.A. Law" and "Major League."

 

Hip to the publicity-generating machine that is Kyle MacDonald, Bernsen contacted him to say he was writing and directing a movie and would offer a paid speaking role as an item available for trade.

 

MacDonald was thrilled. But he feared the integrity of his journey would be compromised if he accepted the role without trading Bernsen something he really could use. Say what you want about "Major League 3," but Bernsen has done well enough that he doesn't need a free apartment in Phoenix.

 

So MacDonald kept Bernsen's offer off his blog, but plowed ahead with an eye to finding something Bernsen would legitimately want.

 

Seemingly disregarding good economic sense, MacDonald traded the year's rent for an afternoon with rocker Alice Cooper. (MacDonald's response: "Alice Cooper is a gold mine of awesomeness and fun.") Then in a move that really confused his blog readers, MacDonald bartered time with Cooper for a snow globe depicting the band Kiss.

 

Re-enter Corbin Bernsen.

 

You see, since the days when he'd get free stuff on promotional tours for "L.A. Law," Bernsen has amassed a collection of 6,500 snow globes. "One off, they look sort of goofy," Bernsen said. "Put them all together and they sort of look like pop art."

 

So MacDonald gave Bernsen the Kiss model and encouraged his blog readers to send the actor even more globes in exchange for autographed pictures.

 

All this delighted the elders in Kipling, a town of 1,140 believed to have been named in honor of author Rudyard Kipling.

 

Like many rural towns, Kipling is eager to stave off the perils of dwindling population by attracting new businesses, tourism and above all, attention. When the local development coordinator, Bert Roach, heard about MacDonald's odyssey, he suggested at the next council meeting that Kipling lure him.

 

Quickly the town purchased an unoccupied rental house on Main Street and offered it to MacDonald. Roach won't disclose the price because MacDonald says he doesn't want to know. But Roach says it was well under the going rate in Kipling, which is about $50,000 Canadian (US$45,000).

 

The town also pledged to put a giant red paper clip at a highway rest stop and hold an "American Idol"-style competition for the movie role. Participants will have to make a donation to the town's parks department and a charity.

 

When MacDonald agreed last week, "I was holding back tears, I was so bloody happy," Roach said. "It's going to be such a great project for our community."

 

Bernsen says that if the right person emerges in the talent show, he'd be willing to cast him or her as a lead. "Maybe a career is going to get started. Maybe it's going to be huge. Maybe that's the magic of Kyle."

 

MacDonald doesn't expect to live in Kipling forever. But he says he'll make it home at least while he settles down to write a book.

 

Of course, even if the house came free, he'll have the usual homeowner headaches: taxes, utilities, upkeep. It should come as no surprise that MacDonald isn't worried.

 

"I'll figure something out," he said. "I can get a job. There's three grocery stores in town."

 

___

 

On the Net:

 

MacDonald's blog:

 

http://oneredpaperclip.blogspot.com

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Prude Paris Bans BoobsPosted Aug 1st 2006 2:50PM by Neil WoodburnFiled under: FranceSacré bleu! It's the end of civilization as we know it when the French start getting prudish and begin covering up their scenic domes and Eiffel Towers. A new decree just passed by the city of Paris prohibits "nude sunbathing, g-strings and toplessness" within city limits. Although legal elsewhere in France, the city government was getting concerned about the amount of flesh busting out on the banks of the River Seine. Every summer truckloads of sand are deposited here to create an artificial beach for over-cultured Parisians longing for some simple, sun-worshiping hedonism. Some have apparently carried this hedonism a bit too far. One city official told Le Parisien that such public display of Parisian accoutrements might lead to "temptations and dangerous behavior on the banks of the river." As a result, those who snub the new decree must pay a 38 euro ($48) fine. This is simply tragic and undermines everything that the French Revolution and its rally cry, "Liberté, égalité, toplessness" has stood for all these years.

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Naked US tourist amok in Swiss town may have been high on mushroomsAug 09 2:31 PM US/Eastern Email this story An American tourist who ran naked through a peaceful Swiss town, vandalized a church and escaped from police clutches by jumping into a lake could have been on hallucinogenic mushrooms, a local magistrate said. The 34 year-old from Massachusetts, who has since been allowed to return home, ran amok in the western town of Morges, by Lake Geneva, two weeks ago, He started babbling incoherently in the hotel lobby, stripped and ran naked along the quayside, broke a stained glass window in the nearby protestant temple with a stool and set a precious 1898 bible alight, police in Morges said. After being seized and handcuffed by police, he made a leap for freedom into the lake and bit two people who tried to help him while he was hanging on to a boat. Having recovered his senses, he later appeared before investigating magistrate Gilles Riva and "coherently" explained that he had eaten 'magic mushrooms' that he had bought in the Netherlands during a trip through Europe. "He said he had lots of regrets and said sorry at least fifty times," Riva told the Swiss news agency ATS. Riva said the mushroom theory was "possible". The tourist, who also offered 250 dollars for each of the people he bit, was not named.

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Auto-eroticism undoes driver

Reuters

Fri Sep 8, 10:55 AM ET

 

BRATISLAVA (Reuters) - A Slovak driver who crashed into a bus shocked rescuers who found him unconscious and half naked with a vacuum pump on his penis.

ADVERTISEMENT

 

Police said the 42-year-old man, driving an old Citroen in the Slovak town of Levice, had ignored a "give way" sign.

 

"It's very likely he had auto-sex while driving, it is a matter of investigation. After the accident he was found lying in the seat, his pants were off and it (the pump) was placed on his penis," police officer Peter Polak told Reuters.

 

"I've never seen anything like this, nor have my colleagues," he added.

 

The man was taken to hospital with head injuries.

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This creature was found by Russian soldiers on Sakhalin shoreline. Sakhalin area is situated near to Japan, it’s the most eastern part of Russia, almost 5000 miles to East from Moscow (Russia is huge). People don’t know who is it. According to the bones and teeth - it is not a fish. According to its skeleton - it’s not a crocodile or alligator. It has a skin with hair or fur. It has been said that it was taken by Russian special services for in-depth studies, and we are lucky that people who encountered it first made those photos before it was brought away.

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any thoughts? :huh:

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Intruder Killed By Nurse Was Hit Man

51-Year-Old Woman Strangled Attempted Killer Allegedly Hired By Husband

 

PORTLAND, Ore., Sept. 16, 2006

(CBS/AP)

 

Fast Facts

 

Kuhnhausen and his wife were in the process of getting a divorce, and she told officers "her husband was distraught about the divorce and wanting to reconcile but that she was insisting on the divorce," the affidavit states.

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(AP) When Susan Kuhnhausen returned home from work one day earlier this month, she encountered an intruder wielding a claw hammer. After a struggle, the 51-year-old nurse fended off her attacker by strangling him to death with her bare hands.

 

Neighbors praised the woman for her bravery, and investigators said they believed the dead man — Edward Dalton Haffey — was burglarizing Kuhnhausen's home.

 

But after an investigation, police now say the intruder Kuhnhausen strangled was apparently a hit man hired by her estranged husband — Michael James Kuhnhausen Sr. — to kill her.

 

The 58-year-old husband was taken into custody Thursday and charged with conspiracy to commit murder and attempted murder. He was ordered held on $500,000 bail.

 

Haffey had worked as a custodian under Kuhnhausen at an adult video store, according an affidavit filed by the Multnomah County District Attorney's office.

 

Kuhnhausen and his wife were in the process of getting a divorce, and she told officers "her husband was distraught about the divorce and wanting to reconcile but that she was insisting on the divorce," the affidavit states.

 

A background check showed Haffey had served lengthy prison terms for conspiracy to commit aggravated murder and convictions for robbery and burglary.

 

Inside a backpack Haffey left at the scene was a day planner with "Call Mike, Get letter," scribbled on the week of Sept. 4, the affidavit said. Michael Kuhnhausen's cell phone number was jotted on the inside of a folder, it said.

 

An emergency room nurse who lives in a southeast Portland neighborhood, Susan Kuhnhausen arrived home on the evening of Sept. 6 to find Haffey coming at her with a claw hammer.

 

She was struck in the head and wrested the weapon away, but the struggle continued and Haffey bit the nurse, according to police. A large woman, she was eventually able to get the slight Haffey into a chokehold and police later found him dead in a hallway. An autopsy revealed the cause of death as strangulation.

 

Police say she acted in self-defense.

 

There was no sign of forced entry into the home, but according to the affidavit, Susan Kuhnhausen offered an explanation for the lack of evidence of a break-in: Her estranged husband had the security codes for the home's alarm system, and would have been able to disarm it.

 

Michael Kuhnhausen denies any involvement, the affidavit states.

 

Susan Kuhnhausen was out of town attending a nursing conference and did not immediately return a phone call seeking comment.

 

She left this message on her voicemail: "I'm not able to answer all the calls that I've received in the past few days. I'm being comforted by your concern and your support. I want you to know that our lives are all at risk for random acts, but more likely random acts of love will come your way than random acts of violence."

 

©MMVI, The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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Man with 10-year erection may not get his cash

Judge dismisses handyman's claim against maker of glitchy penis implant

Associated Press

Updated: 7:50 p.m. ET Sept 26, 2006

 

PROVIDENCE, R.I. - A former handyman from North Providence who won more than $400,000 in a lawsuit over a malfunctioning penile implant may not get the money after a judge dismissed his claim.

 

Superior Court Judge Edward C. Clifton on Monday granted a request by the implant manufacturer's insurer to dismiss Charles "Chick" Lennon's claim, which his lawyers say will amount to $1 million with interest included.

 

The implant has caused Lennon to have an erection for 10 years.

 

The medical device maker's insurance company, National Union Fire Insurance Company, argued that since the device's now-defunct manufacturer, Dacomed Corp., can't be held liable for the device, it can't, either.

 

Lennon's lawyers responded on Wednesday, saying that the Rhode Island Supreme Court affirmed the award and made it clear the insurer has to pay it.

 

Lennon received the steel and plastic implant in 1996, about two years before the impotence drug Viagra went on the market. The Dura-II is designed to allow impotent men to position the penis upward for sex, then lower it.

 

But Lennon, 68, said he can't position his penis downward because the device is faulty, causing him pain and embarrassment.

 

"I'm suffering with it right now," he told The Providence Journal during a recent interview. "It never stops. It's like a constant headache."

 

In 2004, a jury awarded him $750,000. Clifton called that excessive and reduced it to $400,000. In June, the Rhode Island Supreme Court affirmed that award.

 

Dacomed had maintained that nothing was wrong with the implant. It filed for bankruptcy after the lawsuit was filed.

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And the most requested funeral song is...

 

Tue Oct 3, 9:48 AM ET

 

 

LONDON (Reuters) - James Blunt's "Goodbye My Lover" is the song most requested at British funerals and remembrance services, closely followed by Robbie Williams's "Angels," according to a survey released on Monday.

 

 

Research for the Bereavement Register found just over a half (51 percent) of people ask for a specific song be played at their funeral and 79 percent have talked with family and friends about possible song choices. The survey of 5,000 people also uncovered some unusual final choices for the final goodbye with rock songs like "I'll Sleep When I am Dead" by Bon Jovi, competing with classical tracks and soul.

 

"The top 20 really shows how far we have come in terms of saying goodbye. Gone are the days dirges of yore, instead we are seeing contemporary music that is easier to relate to," said Mark Roy, founder of the Bereavement Register, which removes the names and addresses of people who have died from databases to reduce junk mail.

 

"Everyone has a favorite song that means something very special to them, often connected to a particular time and place. When the song is played this can be a very emotive reminder of that person," he said in a statement.

 

Although fashions change there have been some consistent favorites over recent years like "Wind Beneath My Wings" at number four and "Candle In The Wind" -- a reworked version of which played at Princess Diana's funeral in 1997 -- which was at number six.

 

Many of the songs represented the different ages of the deceased.

 

Songs like "Danny Boy" (number 11 in the list) tended to be played at the funerals of the elderly while S Club 7's "Reach For The Stars" (number 20) was more usual at children's funerals, the survey showed.

 

Others in the top 20 included "Knocking On Heaven's Door" by Bob Dylan and, perhaps unexpectedly, Fame's "I Want To Live Forever." The top 10 requested songs were:

 

1 - "Goodbye My Lover" - James Blunt 2 - "Angels" - Robbie Williams 3 - "I've Had The Time Of My Life" - Jennifer Warnes and Bill Medley.

 

4 - "Wind Beneath My Wings" - Bette Midler 5 - "Pie Jesu" - Requiem 6 - "Candle In The Wind" - Elton John 7 - "With Or Without You" - U2 8 - "Tears In Heaven" - Eric Clapton 9 - "Every Breath You Take - The Police 10 -"Unchained Melody" - Righteous Brothers.

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