Weird News Thread ....

[Jolie Rouge]

Thousands of 'Liberated' Minks Rounded Up

http://channels.netscape.com/ns/news...5.htm&sc=reodd


SEATTLE (Reuters) - More than 9,000 minks set free from a Sultan, Washington, fur farm by an animal liberation group this week were back in their pens but hundreds more were still roaming the nearby woods, police said.

Police and volunteers helped Roesler Brothers Fur Farm workers capture the foot-long critters, worth about $40 apiece, with nets, snares and their bare hands.

"They're not real tame -- they'll bite if you pick them up," Sultan Police Chief Fred Wasler told Reuters Tuesday by telephone. "I've never been around minks, so I'm far from an expert and I got bit a few times before I learned how to pick them up."

Workers found holes cut in fences surrounding the farm and all of the cages opened, though thousands of the animals never ventured from their pens.


Local news outlets received e-mails from the Animal Liberation Front (ALF), which has struck fur farms across the U.S. Northwest, claiming to have released the minks.


Since ALF is considered a domestic terrorist group by law enforcement agencies, the FBI has been called in to help investigate, Wasler said.


Critics say releasing domesticated minks is more inhumane than killing them for fur, arguing that the caged animals are ill-equipped to survive in the wild, even in the rich woodlands of western Washington.


"They found four or five squashed on the highway," Wasler said. "A lot of them just milled around the open cages."



08/27/03 10:25

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[Jolie Rouge]

Moonshine Alive, but Not Well, in Atlanta


WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A cluster of patients who showed up at hospital emergency rooms with lead poisoning show that moonshine did not die out with Prohibition but is still popular in some cities, U.S. researchers said on Tuesday.

An investigation in Atlanta showed more than 8 percent of patients surveyed said they had drunk illegally distilled alcohol in the past five years or so, the researchers report in the latest issue of the Annals of Emergency Medicine.

"We were under the misconception that moonshine drinking was relatively rare these days, particularly in an urban area," Dr. Brent Morgan of the Georgia Poison Center, who led the study, said in a statement.

Morgan and colleagues started their survey after four adults showing up at Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta had potentially fatal lead levels in their blood.


The patients, all of whom said they had recently drunk moonshine, had seizures, a hallmark of lead poisoning, abdominal pain, kidney problems, ulcers, and anemia.


Lead gets into moonshine when certain containers are used to make or store it. Car radiators were once notorious for producing poisonous brew.


"These four patients made us realize that perhaps lead exposure from moonshine was being overlooked in the emergency department," Morgan said.


His team surveyed 531 people in the Atlanta area, of whom 8.6 percent reported they had tasted moonshine within the past five years.


Of them, more than a quarter had drunk some of the harsh liquor within the previous week.


These patients were very likely to have high levels of lead in their blood. Moonshine drinkers were more likely to be men between ages 40 and 59 and heavy alcohol users.


"To our knowledge, our study is the first to provide rates of moonshine consumption, which was higher than we expected," Morgan said.



08/27/03 10:25

[Jolie Rouge]

Thousands Ask for Spoiled Milk Money


NEW YORK (Reuters) - Thousands of New Yorkers may be crying over spoiled milk when they find their utility is not going to pay for food ruined by a colossal power blackout earlier this month.

An official-looking form circulating on the Internet claims that New York utility Con Edison will reimburse residents up to $350 for household food that spoiled during the power outage, which darkened refrigerators for up to 29 hours beginning August 14.

"It's not true," said Joe Petta, a spokesman for Consolidated Edison Inc. unit Consolidated Edison Co. of New York Inc.

"There is a claim form on our Web site, but it has always been there -- we have said since day two (of the blackout) that we are not liable."


Con Edison has said the blackout likely originated outside its service area.


Petta said Con Edison, which provides power to more than nine million people in and around New York City, has been inundated with thousands of the spoiled food claim forms.



08/27/03 10:21

[Jolie Rouge]

Bobbies Go After 'Ugly Brits'


ATHENS (Reuters) - British holidaymakers may have deserted the cool waters of Blackpool for drunken debauchery in the Greek sunshine but Blackpool, it seems, is coming after them.

The long arm of the northern English resort's police will reach out to Faliraki this week when a team of three Blackpool officers visits to help authorities on the island of Rhodes tackle raucous British tourists, Greek police said Tuesday.

Three Britons have died in drink-fueled incidents this summer in Faliraki. Its nightclubs and bars are a magnet for hundreds of thousands of young people, and drunkenness and lewd behavior have led locals to brand some the "ugly Britons."

Britain offered to help out after scandalized Greek authorities cracked down and the news hit headlines back home.


"The British officers will be in Faliraki to offer advice, but they will not be involved in any police operation," Greek police spokesman Lefteris Economou told reporters.


"They will exchange methods and experiences with our officers and what they have done to contain problems in Blackpool and they will remain in Faliraki for three days," a Greek police official told Reuters.



08/27/03 10:20

[Jolie Rouge]

Guess Who Makes $41 Million a Year?

Cameron Diaz.

There's just something about her paycheck that will make everyone else sit up and notice: At $41 million, it's the highest for any actress in Hollywood. Diaz has now topped the likes of Julia Roberts, Halle Berry, and Nicole Kidman for the coveted spot of who makes the most, according to none other than the Guinness Book of World Records. Being a Hollywood hottie pays well. Very, very well.

And $41 million is just her take in 2001 for her work in "Charlie's Angels," "Gangs of New York," "Vanilla Sky," and the voice of Princess Fiona in the animated smash hit "Shrek." Her income is expected to go even higher next year, reports The New York Post, when the actress could bank close to $45 million. She'll earn between $10 million and $15 million for reprising her role in "Shrek 2," and she's said to be making a whopping $25 million to $30 million for "Fun With Dick and Jane." That sure buys a lot of fun.

Diaz has done all this in just nine years. She started out in 1994, co-starring with Jim Carrey in "The Mask," making the paltry sum of less than $500,000. And then the hits kept coming, including "There's Something About Mary," "Being John Malkovich," and "Any Given Sunday." The Post notes that richy rich Diaz is down-to-earth. She refuses to have plastic surgery and is honest about her longtime battles with acne. "I was the plain one. I had no style," she recalls. "I was the tough kid with the comb in the back pocket and the feathered hair." Look who's laughing now.

[Jolie Rouge]

Remarkable Find In a Trailer In Phoenix

The trailer was so dilapidated that Neil King purchased it for just $75 at a public storage auction in Phoenix, Ariz. It was filled with garbage bags that were packed with what appeared to be old clothing and assorted junk. But Neil King essentially hit the lottery when some of the garbage bags contained artwork by the Flagg family, well-known and eccentric artists from Scottsdale, Ariz. The loot could be worth as much as $1 million, reports The Associated Press. "This is like winning the lottery. This will never happen again," King, who is a certified appraiser, told AP.

The Flaggs were truly unconventional. Dee, who sported a handlebar mustache and dressed in Western garb, drove around town in either a Rolls Royce or a 1914 fire truck with an Indian as his passenger. Brother Monte liked to dress as Buffalo Bill Cody.

The trailer booty contains a wooden Indian carved by Dee and portraits of American Indian children painted by Monte. The trailer was owned by the Flaggs, but the storage company in which it was being housed was unable to locate anyone in the family, who had stopped paying rent on it earlier this year. Dee Flagg died in 2000. State law regarding the auction prohibits anyone from inspecting the contents beforehand. So you might find $1 million of American art--or a box of dirty underwear.

[Jolie Rouge]

ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY CLEANING


Using common, natural household products for cleaning is recommended from both a financial and an environmental standpoint. There are a number of great environmentally friendly cleaning solutions.

Mix 1 cup white vinegar with 1 quart of water to clean windows. After the solution softens the window's grit and grime, wipe with old newspapers.

Combine 1/2 cup of ammonia, 2 tablespoons of baking soda and 1 quart of warm water to break down grease and cooked-on grime on pots, pans, stovetops and ovens.

Use club soda or white vinegar to remove spots and stains around the house.

Clean silver and eliminate pet odors in carpets or upholstery with pure lemon or lime juice.

Make a paste of baking soda and water. This paste is a mild abrasive cleanser for everything from jewelry to moldy bathroom grout.


Wood Floor

You'll want to match the cleaning method and material to the finish of your wood floor. The most popular types of finish are wax, oil and polyurethane.


Wax finish: Strip periodically with chemical strippers and buff numerous coats of wax back into the floor. Sweep up any dirt and grit and then give the floor a quick buffing to bring out the luster.

Oil finish: Clean oil-finished floors with oil soap mixed into water.

Use as little water as possible and buff dry after cleaning. When the floor is clean apply a high-quality floor oil with a rag in even coats. After the oil soaks into the floor for one to two hours, buff it to a shine with a clean rag.

Polyurethane finish: Clean polyurethane-finished floors with a weak solution of soap and water. Don't use cleaning oil, furniture polish or chemical strippers on polyurethane as they can break down the finish and cause flooring problems later.

No matter what type of product you choose - those from your grocery store or those made especially for the environment - having the right ones for the job will cut down on your cleaning time and make your home shine.

[Jolie Rouge]

Your Boss May Be Job-Hunting Soon


Looking for a promotion? Your boss's office may be empty soon. Once the job market improves, fully 83 percent of executive or managerial employees recently polled by the Society for Human Resource Management admitted they are extremely or somewhat likely to start looking for a new position.

You may call it jumping ship. People who work in human resources called it "voluntary turnover," and it's something that typically happens with an improving economy. And we all know we're long overdue for an improving economy. Companies, take heed: If you don't want to lose your top managers, it's time to focus on retention efforts.

So when will the job-based musical chairs begin? It depends on who you ask. According to the survey, just 23 percent of HR professionals expect the job market to improve in the next three to six months, but 42 percent of employees think the turnaround is that close, reports the Washington Business Journal.





Want to take a three-hour lunch?

Here are four techno-tricks you can do to make the boss think you're hard at work at your desk--when you're not.

Wouldn't it be cool to sometimes make the boss think you're hard at work--when you're not? With a little ingenuity and a lot of high-tech equipment, you can do it.

None other than The Wall Street Journal, the daily bible for hard-working suits, laid out all the facts involved in deceiving the one who determines your annual raise. (That was a hint: Be careful if you do this!) As long as there have been bosses and employees, those employees have been trying to fool those bosses. The only difference now is the tricks have changed. Say hello to the high-tech slacker. To make this work, you're going to have to spend some money on gizmos and gadgets. Better yet, convince your company to buy them for you.

Here are some of the ideas, cleverly explained by The Wall Street Journal:


--Control Your PC Remotely

Get a handheld computer, such as a Handspring Visor. Add on a program, such as GoToMyPC.com, that will allow you to manipulate the screen on your office computer via the hand-held. This kind of sophisticated remote control even lets you move the cursor on your screen, open documents, and print them on the shared office printer. That means you can be sitting in a coffee shop or poolside and create the impression for anyone who walks by your computer that you just stepped away from your desk. And every time a person walks by, something different will be on your screen.

--Time Your E-Mail So It Looks Like You Work 24/7

Take advantage of your e-mail system's timing capabilities. Write one or more e-mails to your boss at your convenience, but don't send them. Instead, set the e-mail system's timer to send the e-mail messages late at night or better yet, in the middle of the night. Assuming the boss checks the time the e-mail was sent, you'll get brownie points for working half the night. Hey, we live and work in a 24/7 world. This way you can look like you do--when you don't.

--Reconfigure Your Instant Messenger

When Instant Messenger is fired up and you haven't been active for a while, IM lets others know you're idle. If you know how to do it, you can crack into the program settings so it looks like you're always available. Less tech-savvy users can just not leave an away message.

--Call Forwarding

This is easy for anyone to do. Forward your office calls so they go to your cell phone or house phone. Pick up where ever you happen to be. Some call-forwarding services even allow you to transfer your calls to different phone numbers throughout the day. (Hint: If you're really at your son's baseball game, the other parents' loud cheering might give you away.)

Beware!

You could get fired if you get caught. That happened to David Wiskus, who gladly outlined for The Wall Street Journal how he tricked his boss into thinking he was working when he was really taking three-hour lunches almost every day. Funny thing. The boss figured it out. Wiskus landed on the street with the classifieds in his hand.

[Jolie Rouge]

Want to impress your boss? Just do this...

The surprising answer.




If you want the boss to sit up and take notice of the memos and reports you write, here's a tip: Don't use big words. Obfuscation hurts. (Oops. That's a big word.)

Reuters reports that a new study from Stanford University concludes that people who use complicated language when simple words will do tend to be viewed as less intelligent than those who use a more basic and understandable vocabulary. Before you purposely forget all those great SAT words you learned or throw away your thesaurus, note this: "I think it's important to point out that this study is not about problems with using long words, it's about problems with using long words needlessly," lead study author Daniel Oppenheimer explained to Reuters. "If the best way to say something involves using a complex word, then by all means do so. But if there are several equally valid ways of expressing your ideas, you should go with the simpler one."

Since Oppenheimer is a professor at Stanford and has easy access to student essays, he designed part of the study based on students' feedback on each other's writing. Here are two sentences that say the same thing; the only difference is the complexity of the language:

"The primary academic goal I have set for myself is to use my potential to the fullest."

"The principal educational aspiration I have established for myself is to utilize my capabilities to the fullest."
The results: When people read simpler language, they actually rate the author's intelligence higher than they do those who write using large words and a more complex sentence structure. Oppenheimer said this result held no matter what was being read--from student essays and graduate school applications to sociology dissertations and philosophical works from Descartes. He told Reuters that he has no idea why people linked intelligence with simpler language, but suspects it's because we like to read things that are easy to understand.

So the next time you want to throw in a big word just to impress the reader--be it the boss or a teacher--forget about it. Chances are, it will backfire on you. The research findings were presented at the annual meeting of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology.

--Cathryn Conroy

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DALLAS (Reuters) - An out-of-court settlement has been reached in the case of a North Texas man who woke up from bladder surgery only to find that doctors had amputated his penis without permission, lawyers said on Thursday.
Terms of the out-of-court settlement were not disclosed but Hurshell Ralls, 67, had been seeking over $5 million in a civil suit he filed in Wichita Falls, Texas, against the two doctors who removed his penis. They did not admit to any wrongdoing in the settlement.

The hospital where the surgery was performed was also named in the suit.

Ralls' attorney Steve Briley said that his client was having surgery in 1999 to remove a cancerous bladder, which would likely include the removal of his prostate gland.

He contends that doctors removed Ralls' penis after they mistakenly thought the cancer had spread to the male sex organ. He charged the doctors -- John S. Dryden and Farid Khoury -- with not seeking consent for the penis amputation and negligence.

He also said a pathology test indicated that Ralls' penile tissue was not cancerous.

Joel Steed, the attorney who represented the doctors, said Dryden had informed Ralls that his penis might have to be removed to treat the cancer he had in his bladder. He also questioned the results of the pathology tests on the amputated penis.

Steed said during surgery the two doctors saw tissue indicating the cancer spread from the bladder to the urethra, and they felt removing the penis would provide the best chance for Ralls' survival.

Hearings in the case before a jury of eight men and four women had started earlier this week and were underway when the out-of-court settlement was reached.

Ralls and his wife have not been able to recover from the anger and shock they felt after the surgery, his attorney said.

"Mr. Ralls was not informed that he was going to wake up and not have a penis," Briley said.

[Widgetsx3]

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. airport baggage screeners, displaying seized chain saws, machetes and knives, warned travelers to check their luggage for offensive objects before boarding a flight.
Officials of the Transport Security Administration, speaking ahead of this weekend's Labor Day holiday -- a busy travel time -- said that since February 2002 more than 7.5 million prohibited items had been seized.

They included 50,000 box cutters -- a weapon said to be used by the Sept. 11, 2001 hijackers -- and 1,437 firearms as well as 2.3 million knives.

The TSA officials told a news conference most people with such items in their bags intended no malice but advised passengers to consult the Web site www.tsatraveltips.usa for advice on what to leave behind when making a trip.

Since the Sept. 11 attacks screeners have confiscated seemingly harmless items like nail clippers and cigarette lighters from passengers.

But some carry more obviously dangerous items. Chain saws, a weed cutting machine, hand saws and machetes, steak knives, bottles of camping stove fuel and perfume bottles shaped like hand grenades were among items displayed as a sample of objects seized at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport.

While some carry-on items may have been innocent -- a hockey stick or a child's plastic sword -- other discoveries by TSA have yielded razor blades in tennis shoes and a bayonet hidden in a hollowed-out artificial leg.