`The richest one per cent of the world’s population owns 40 per cent of the total household wealth, while the bottom half of the world makes do with barely one per cent, according to a research report released Tuesday.
The study, which further underlined the continuing disparity between rich and poor, is by the Helsinki-based World Institute for Development Economics Research, part of the United Nations University. [..]
In contrast, 50 per cent of adults owned barely one per cent of the household wealth.’
`A feud between two families in a remote Northern Territory community escalated when more than 200 people attacked each other with axes, spears and homemade swords overnight. [..]
The two families had agreed to meet with the intention of reaching a peaceful resolution to their problems.
About 200 people turned up for the meeting in the stifling December heat but as the two groups gathered, police said one began to “taunt and verbally abuse” the other.
“The opposing family responded physically,” police said.
“The situation escalated with police frantically trying to disarm young men of axes, spears and homemade swords.”‘
‘This dude is insane. I am not sure what he thought would happen by soaking his jeans in gasoline and then running through a fire. I bet this kid has some serious burns after this.’
see it here »
Here’s a couple of clips from a banned Mythbusters episode, busting the myth that pretty girls don’t fart and then setting farts on fire.
see it here »
`Rolf Harris has apologised for using racist language in the song that launched his career, Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport.
The original words that Harris wrote for the 1960 hit included a verse referring to Aboriginal workers as if they were slaves.
The opening lines tell of a dying stockman giving his friends instructions on how they should treat his pet animals, such as “keep me cockatoo cool, Curl” and “take me koala back, Jack” before the fifth verse:
Let me Abos go loose, Lou,
Let me Abos go loose.
They’re of no further use, Lou,
So let me Abos go loose.
Altogether now!‘
`A woman out walking Monday was swallowed by the sidewalk when it caved in under her.
The woman, 64, fell into a sinkhole about 5 feet by 2 feet wide and about 5 feet deep in front of a house in the Canarsie section of Brooklyn.
Firefighters rushed to the woman’s aid, using metal hooks to pull concrete chunks off her before strapping her to a stretcher and removing her from the hole.’
`A man who burned a dog to death in the oven of a house he was robbing has been sentenced to 15 years in prison, a prosecutor said.
Alexander Davis, 20, received a five-year sentence for aggravated animal cruelty and 10 years for burglary, Chatham County Assistant District Attorney Melanie Higgins said.
The dog’s owner, Angela DeLettre, came home in August 2005 to find an open back door, items missing and a kitchen sink overflowing with water. She found one of her dogs safe, but the other, a 1-year-old rat terrier, was missing.
Police later found the dead dog in the oven, which had been set to 400 degrees.
Police arrested Davis on an anonymous tip a few days later.’
Flowers that look like labia.
`A father who gave his two daughters amphetamines to teach them about the dangers of drugs has been sentenced.
Colin Moyse, 50, of Gorleston, Norfolk, admitted to giving Class B amphetamines – known as Speed – to his daughters between December 2005 and January 2006.
He was given a conditional discharge of two years.
Norwich Crown Court heard that Moyse wanted his daughters, aged 13 and 12, to know what the drug tasted like in case somebody spiked their drinks.
Moyse, said to be “anti-drugs”, put some amphetamine on his fingertips and told the girls to taste it.’
`A Chinese construction company has been fined more than $A80,000 for building a highway through the Great Wall.
Parts of the Great Wall of China in Inner Mongolia have been blasted away to allow for a highway to be built.
The company responsible, Hongji Landbridge, was warned not to go ahead with construction.
According to government officials, it not only ignored the warnings but went on to demolish three nearby ancient villages.
As a result the company has been fined $A81,200.’
`Nothing says Happy Holidays like a photo of sweet little toddlers screaming at Santa. A couple of years ago, the Chicago Tribune asked readers to send in their “Scared of Santa” photos. Those photos are included here, as well as additional photos sent in by SouthFlorida.com, Sun-Sentinel.com and Chicago Tribune readers in subsequent years. Enjoy!’
`Two Swedish border control officers risk disciplinary action for keeping a photo collection of “exceptionally beautiful” women who passed through their checkpoint, police officials said Tuesday.
The officers, who were working at a ferry terminal near Stockholm, made photocopies of the women’s passport photos and placed them in a binder. They also noted the date of birth next to each entry, the Stockholm police department said.
The binder contained instructions on how to compile the collection, and orders to make backup copies in case the binder would go missing or be confiscated by “evil-minded bores,” police said.
The instructions also stated that only “exceptionally beautiful” women belonged in the collection and that no personal data, aside from the date of birth, should be included.’
`A woman in Fulton County, Ga., who was angry with her boyfriend when the pair went to bed over the weekend, poured gasoline on his genitals and ignited a fire, according to police.
Fulton County police said Bobby Thompson and his girlfriend Cynthia Covington had a fight Saturday morning and Thompson went to bed. However, Covington was still upset, the report said.
Covington then allegedly poured gasoline between Thompson’s legs and ignited a fire. Covington also caught fire, the report said.
Both were transported to Grady Hospital’s burn unit.’
`A factory manager in east China has been arrested for using grease from swill, sewage, pesticides and recycled industrial oil to make lard for human consumption, state media said Monday in the country’s latest food scare.
Ying Fuming, a manager at the Fanchang Grease Factory in Taizhou, a city in Zhejiang province, sold the lard at half the price of other wholesalers while promising that his product met safety standards, the Shanghai Daily said. [..]
The Taizhou factory, which opened in September 2005, was ordered shut down but continued operating at night, the Shanghai Daily said. It sold its product to retailers across the country, who sold it to clients, including hotels and restaurants, it said.’
‘As the owners / operators of a website that allows the anonymous rating of teachers, we are frequently asked, “Why do you do this? Aren’t you doing a disservice to teachers?” Our answer is a resounding NO. In the public discourse on improving education, we believe the most important voices are often ignored. For the first time in the history of public schools, the student is being heard, and parents can share their experiences in an open forum.’
‘JUBILANT car salesman Steve Moseley went berserk and told his boss to stick his job – after MISREADING a £1million scratchcard.
Ecstatic Steve, 36, DANCED on his desk, THREW all the money in his wallet at colleagues and sent a junior out for CHAMPAGNE thinking he had won a fortune.
He then phoned his girlfriend to tell her he had quit and was rushing off to buy an Aston Martin.
But 45 minutes later his celebrations were cruelly cut short when he phoned the National Lottery’s claim hotline – and was told to take another look.
Shocked Steve saw he had mistaken a 16 for a 15 on his 24 Karat Gold scratchcard – meaning he had NOT matched two 15kg ingots.
And instead of becoming an instant millionaire he was broke and jobless.’
`A scout leader who set up a fake camp to lure boys to his home and abuse them has been jailed for nine months.
Alan Grant, 42, a former assistant commissioner, made parental consent forms for the bogus event. [..]
The court heard how Grant, who was area assistant commissioner for scouting in Perth and Kinross, lied to parents about a forthcoming scout camp he wanted their sons to attend.
Grant, who had more than 20 years’ involvement with the scouting movement as a volunteer, took two boys to his home, in St Madoes, and gave them alcohol before he abused them.’
`Fans of the James Bond franchise threatened to boycott Casino Royale when Daniel Craig was announced as the new Bond and after filming began, onset reports didn’t really help. Craig got his teeth knocked out during a fight scene, complained about having “prickly heat” and then he revealed to producers that he’d be unable to drive Bond’s signature car, the Aston Martin, because he couldn’t drive a stick. Now, he has even better news – he wants Bond to be gay in the next movie. As an added bonus, he wants the scene to contain full frontal nudity. He says:
“Why not? I think in this day and age, fans would have accepted it. I mean, look at (British TV series) ‘Doctor Who’ – that has had gay scenes in it and no one blinks an eye.”‘
`A 2-month-old baby was hospitalized with a blood-alcohol level more than four times the legal limit for an adult driver, but medical officials said she was expected to recover.
The infant was taken to Memorial Hospital early Sunday with a blood-alcohol level of 0.364 percent and was being treated in the intensive-care unit.
Hospital spokeswoman Sharon Miracle said Monday she had no new information on the infant’s condition.
Authorities were still investigating how the girl ingested the alcohol and no charges had been filed, police said.’
‘mom tells the kids she is going to have another baby. whatch the kid’s reactions’
see it here »
`For nearly 20 years – ever since Pete Costello was 8 – his mother has collected disability benefits on his behalf. In meetings with Social Security officials and psychologists, he appeared mentally retarded and unable to communicate. His mother insisted he couldn’t read or write, shower, take care of himself or drive a car.
But now prosecutors say it was all a huge fraud, and they have video of Costello contesting a traffic ticket to prove it.
“He’s like any other person trying to get out of a traffic ticket,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Norman Barbosa said Tuesday.’
‘Sunrise co-host David Koch knows all about piss takes … but there’s one he wishes he hadn’t got involved in.
The TV star has been forced to apologise for retelling a viewer’s joke on air involving John and Janette Howard and a message written in urine in the snow. [..]
The network even got a call from an irate Government minister offended by Koch’s telling of the gag during yesterday’s Joke of the Day segment at 6.50am.
Even his on-air colleagues looked frozen by the time he came to the end of the joke, until co-host Natalie Barr gave an awkward laugh.
“I think that’s actually … Did you vet that with anyone before you … ?” a stunned Barr asked.’
Update: now with video.
(3.9meg Flash video)
see it here »
`The 99 passengers and five crew members were evacuated from the American Airlines plane after it landed around 6:40 a.m., Nashville Airport Authority spokeswoman Lynne Lowrance said.
The plane, which was en route from Reagan National Airport in Washington, was searched, and luggage was screened.
Matches were found in the seat of one passenger, who was detained and questioned by the FBI. The matches were safety matches allowed in carry-on luggage under Transportation Security Administration rules.
“It turned out she was trying to conceal body odor,” Lowrance said.’
‘A mother convinced Rock Hill police to arrest her 12-year-old son after he unwrapped a Christmas present early.
The boy’s great-grandmother had specifically told him not to open his Nintendo Game Boy Advance, which she had wrapped and placed beneath the Christmas tree, according to a police report.
But on Sunday morning, she found the box of the popular handheld game console unwrapped and opened. When the boy’s 27-year-old mother heard about the opened gift, she called police.
“He took it without permission. He wanted it. He just took it,” said the 63-year-old great-grandmother.’
The Smoking Gun has the police report.
`We’ve all dreamed of it – who wouldn’t want to have bright blue urine? Alright, I admit some people might be appalled at this strange activity, but many will find it interesting.
No, you don’t have to contract Syphilis to get blue urine. The method presented here is quite harmless.
WARNING: This guide contains instructions to eat things which are not sold for human consumption. Make sure you know the risks and read all relevant MSDS sheets before trying this on yourself! Some people may be allergic to Methylene Blue dye.’
