The Sideshow
Pic de Bugarach: French commune home to 20,000 ‘doomsday cultists’ awaiting alien salvation
By Erik Pfuffer
An estimated 20,000 New Age believers who say the "upside down" mountain is home to aliens who will rescue them from an impending apocalypse have saturated a small French commune near the foot of the picturesque Pic de Bugarach.
The Independent reports the growing flock, who locals refer to as "esoterics," believe the world will come to an end on December 21st, 2012. They also reportedly believe that the unique mountain is in fact home to a race of alien beings that will emerge to rescue the gathered humans and transport them to a new civilization.
Pic de Bugarach has long been famous because rock samples taken from its peak are actually older than points measured at lower elevation. Scientists say that is because when the 1,230 meter mountain erupted its peak flipped upside down before crashing back down upon the mountain's base. The mountain is said to have played a role in inspiring everything from Jules Verne's "Journey to the Center of the Earth," to Steven Spielberg's "Close Encounters of the Third Kind."
The BBC reports that the French government is concerned about mass suicides taking place near Pic de Bugarach in advance of the December 21 date and that there have been reports of "strange rituals" taking place there as well.
Last year, CNN filed a report on the apocalyptic rumors surrounding Pic de Bugarach:
The Independent notes some other rumors surrounding Pic de Bugarach, which included speculation that both Israel's Mossad and Nazis have both performed "mysterious" excavation digs there.
"The apocalypse we believe in is the end of a certain world and the beginning of another," one of the New Age pilgrims going only by the name "Jean," tells the paper. "A new spiritual world. The year 2012 is the end of a cycle of suffering. Bugarach is one of the major chakras of the earth, a place devoted to welcoming the energies of tomorrow."
Up to 100,000 visitors are expected to flock to the scene before December 21.
RASQUERA, Spain (Reuters) - A small town in northeastern Spain, believes it has found a novel way to pay of its debt: cultivating cannabis.
Tucked in the hills of one of Spain's most picturesque regions, the Catalonian village of Rasquera has agreed to rent out land to grow marijuana, an enterprise the local authorities say will allow them to pay off their 1.3 million euro (1 million pound) debt in two years.
Local authorities are keeping the location of the site top secret while Spain's attorney general investigates the legality of the project. The Catalan regional government has also asked the village for further information about the plan.
Spanish towns are swamped in debt after a decade-long construction boom that imploded in 2008. Almost one in four Spanish workers is jobless and many cities are months behind in salaries for street cleaners and other municipal employees.
Spain's central government is now forcing local authorities to tighten their belts even further as a euro zone debt crisis drags on, forcing greater fiscal austerity onto most countries using the single European currency.
The mayor of Rasquera, with 900 inhabitants, said the project will not only benefit locals, but also eliminate organised crime and the tax evasion associated with the cannabis industry thanks to government supervision.
"We want to put an end to mafias, we want to finish with the black market, we want to put an end to the underground economy," said Bernat Pellisa, Rasquera's mayor of nine years said.
"The only thing this humble mayor wants and has tried to do is to supervise all this in order to benefit society and the neighbours of our village," he added.
The Barcelona Personal Use Cannabis Association (ABCDA) will pay Rasquera 54,170 euros a month from July 2012 for a 15 hectare plot of land and local authorities hope the farm will generate 40 jobs in the village.
VILLAGERS WELCOME PLAN
The proposal has sparked debate on the legality of cannabis. Spanish law allows the cultivation of cannabis as long as it is for "personal and shared use." Trafficking, however, is punished with up to six years in jail.
The mayor said residents of Rasquera have welcomed the initiative, as long as it abides by the law, and that he is responding to the wishes of the people.
"It's a potential solution for the government to pay our debt. They are working to check out if it's legal and if they can regularize it. And if it is possible, then perfect," Rasquera resident Josep Francesc, 22, said.
For a 67-year-old woman who didn't want to give her name, the project would only be acceptable if the cannabis was used for medical purposes.
"They say it is going to be used by laboratories, to produce medicine. If that is the goal, then welcome. There is almost no medicine that doesn't use drugs. But if it is used in a different way, then I don't agree," she said.
As cannabis must be planted in March, 36,000 euros has already been paid and cultivation could begin shortly.
Marta Suarez, spokeswoman of ABCDA, said the plantation in Rasquera was not a business-orientated project.
"The goal is not to maximize our profits or produce as much as possible, but to produce with quality in a controlled environment to supply users...in a responsible, appropriate and informed manner," she says.
ABCDA has 5,000 members and is based in Barcelona, the capital of the Catalonia region.
If the cannabis cultivation project goes through, the villagers of Rasquera will have an alternative to traditional jobs in olive groves, vineyards and citrus plantations, and the village debt could finally "go up in smoke."
Pic de Bugarach: French commune home to 20,000 ‘doomsday cultists’ awaiting alien salvation
By Erik Pfuffer
An estimated 20,000 New Age believers who say the "upside down" mountain is home to aliens who will rescue them from an impending apocalypse have saturated a small French commune near the foot of the picturesque Pic de Bugarach.
The Independent reports the growing flock, who locals refer to as "esoterics," believe the world will come to an end on December 21st, 2012. They also reportedly believe that the unique mountain is in fact home to a race of alien beings that will emerge to rescue the gathered humans and transport them to a new civilization.
Pic de Bugarach has long been famous because rock samples taken from its peak are actually older than points measured at lower elevation. Scientists say that is because when the 1,230 meter mountain erupted its peak flipped upside down before crashing back down upon the mountain's base. The mountain is said to have played a role in inspiring everything from Jules Verne's "Journey to the Center of the Earth," to Steven Spielberg's "Close Encounters of the Third Kind."
The BBC reports that the French government is concerned about mass suicides taking place near Pic de Bugarach in advance of the December 21 date and that there have been reports of "strange rituals" taking place there as well.
Last year, CNN filed a report on the apocalyptic rumors surrounding Pic de Bugarach:
The Independent notes some other rumors surrounding Pic de Bugarach, which included speculation that both Israel's Mossad and Nazis have both performed "mysterious" excavation digs there.
"The apocalypse we believe in is the end of a certain world and the beginning of another," one of the New Age pilgrims going only by the name "Jean," tells the paper. "A new spiritual world. The year 2012 is the end of a cycle of suffering. Bugarach is one of the major chakras of the earth, a place devoted to welcoming the energies of tomorrow."
Up to 100,000 visitors are expected to flock to the scene before December 21.
RASQUERA, Spain (Reuters) - A small town in northeastern Spain, believes it has found a novel way to pay of its debt: cultivating cannabis.
Tucked in the hills of one of Spain's most picturesque regions, the Catalonian village of Rasquera has agreed to rent out land to grow marijuana, an enterprise the local authorities say will allow them to pay off their 1.3 million euro (1 million pound) debt in two years.
Local authorities are keeping the location of the site top secret while Spain's attorney general investigates the legality of the project. The Catalan regional government has also asked the village for further information about the plan.
Spanish towns are swamped in debt after a decade-long construction boom that imploded in 2008. Almost one in four Spanish workers is jobless and many cities are months behind in salaries for street cleaners and other municipal employees.
Spain's central government is now forcing local authorities to tighten their belts even further as a euro zone debt crisis drags on, forcing greater fiscal austerity onto most countries using the single European currency.
The mayor of Rasquera, with 900 inhabitants, said the project will not only benefit locals, but also eliminate organised crime and the tax evasion associated with the cannabis industry thanks to government supervision.
"We want to put an end to mafias, we want to finish with the black market, we want to put an end to the underground economy," said Bernat Pellisa, Rasquera's mayor of nine years said.
"The only thing this humble mayor wants and has tried to do is to supervise all this in order to benefit society and the neighbours of our village," he added.
The Barcelona Personal Use Cannabis Association (ABCDA) will pay Rasquera 54,170 euros a month from July 2012 for a 15 hectare plot of land and local authorities hope the farm will generate 40 jobs in the village.
VILLAGERS WELCOME PLAN
The proposal has sparked debate on the legality of cannabis. Spanish law allows the cultivation of cannabis as long as it is for "personal and shared use." Trafficking, however, is punished with up to six years in jail.
The mayor said residents of Rasquera have welcomed the initiative, as long as it abides by the law, and that he is responding to the wishes of the people.
"It's a potential solution for the government to pay our debt. They are working to check out if it's legal and if they can regularize it. And if it is possible, then perfect," Rasquera resident Josep Francesc, 22, said.
For a 67-year-old woman who didn't want to give her name, the project would only be acceptable if the cannabis was used for medical purposes.
"They say it is going to be used by laboratories, to produce medicine. If that is the goal, then welcome. There is almost no medicine that doesn't use drugs. But if it is used in a different way, then I don't agree," she said.
As cannabis must be planted in March, 36,000 euros has already been paid and cultivation could begin shortly.
Marta Suarez, spokeswoman of ABCDA, said the plantation in Rasquera was not a business-orientated project.
"The goal is not to maximize our profits or produce as much as possible, but to produce with quality in a controlled environment to supply users...in a responsible, appropriate and informed manner," she says.
ABCDA has 5,000 members and is based in Barcelona, the capital of the Catalonia region.
If the cannabis cultivation project goes through, the villagers of Rasquera will have an alternative to traditional jobs in olive groves, vineyards and citrus plantations, and the village debt could finally "go up in smoke."
Burglar breaks in, folds clothes, cooks dinner
An Indiana man allegedly breaks into a neighbor's apartment and proceeds to cook a meal, fold laundry and do some vacuuming before the resident, and then police arrived. WNDU's Brandon Lewis reports.
When a South Bend, Ind. mother returned home Monday night with her son, she discovered Keith Davis, 46, had neatly folded her clothes, swept the floor and cooked dinner. The problem? Davis was a burglar.
"I seen my living room light on and the bedroom light on, so once we came up the stairs I figured my brother was home," Ashley Murray told WNDU. "I turned the knob and it was locked, so I seen my screen open and I pushed my window open and it was some random guy in my kitchen."
Murray told the station she walked away from the window with her son and called the police before yelling at Davis to leave her home.
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"I'm like, 'The police are on their way!' And he told me, 'The police already been here,' closed my window, locked it back up and closed my door and sat in a chair in front of the window until the police came," Murray said.
Murray told WNDU she noticed Davis had cooked some chicken and onions in a pan, folded her clothes and swept the floor. She told WSBT Davis even put a sheet and pillow on her couch.
"The police said it looked like he was a good chef. It looked like he had broth and everything in it," she said.
Davis was arrested despite adamantly stating he was in his own home. He was charged with breaking and entering.
According to WNDU, the man told police he had woken up in the apartment, and a woman told him to get a set of keys from a closet. Murray said Davis had a set of her keys in his pocket when he was arrested and suspects Davis had been watching her and saw when she placed a set of keys in a storage unit for her brother to use when he arrived later that night from Indianapolis.
'He really seemed to think this was his home'
When officers asked Davis where he lived he gave officers an address that didn't exist. According to the affidavit, officers had a difficult time understanding his speech.
"Me and the police think he was on some type of drug. He really seemed to think this was his home," Murray told WNDU.
Murray said her son later recognized Davis as a neighbor from across the complex. The son said he had seen Davis watching him and his friends when they played outside.
Davis didn't steal anything beyond the food.
"He drunk up my orange juice, but it's cool because he swept up my floor and folded my clothes," Murray told WNDU.
Prosecutors requested a $5,000 bond because Murray was concerned Davis might return, but the judge lowered it to $1,000. The prosecutor is requesting Davis undergo a psychological evaluation.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tennessee high school principal apologizes for saying black students are “less smart”
A high school principal in Tennessee issued a letter of apology to students and parents after publicly saying his school's black students were "less smart" after scoring lower than other students on recent academic tests.
"The hope was we would share with the students, this is where we are as a school," Principal Ted Horrell said. Local affiliate WREG reported that Horrell took the unusual step of sharing the school's test scores in a live forum with the students. There were reports that black students were taunted after the assembly.
"[My daughter] felt he presented this information to basically reflect the African-American students were all the reason the scores were down," Germantown High parent Deborah Cannon told WREG.
In his apology letter, Horrell wrote, "I unintentionally offended a number of students on this campus. I apologize to all the students and parents who were offended."
However, Horrell said the testing is part of a larger effort to improve the school's overall test scores, but denied specifically drawing racial boundaries. "I did say we have some groups of students that are performing better on standardized tests than others. I certainly didn't say that white students are smarter than black students."
An Indiana man allegedly breaks into a neighbor's apartment and proceeds to cook a meal, fold laundry and do some vacuuming before the resident, and then police arrived. WNDU's Brandon Lewis reports.
When a South Bend, Ind. mother returned home Monday night with her son, she discovered Keith Davis, 46, had neatly folded her clothes, swept the floor and cooked dinner. The problem? Davis was a burglar.
"I seen my living room light on and the bedroom light on, so once we came up the stairs I figured my brother was home," Ashley Murray told WNDU. "I turned the knob and it was locked, so I seen my screen open and I pushed my window open and it was some random guy in my kitchen."
Murray told the station she walked away from the window with her son and called the police before yelling at Davis to leave her home.
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"I'm like, 'The police are on their way!' And he told me, 'The police already been here,' closed my window, locked it back up and closed my door and sat in a chair in front of the window until the police came," Murray said.
Murray told WNDU she noticed Davis had cooked some chicken and onions in a pan, folded her clothes and swept the floor. She told WSBT Davis even put a sheet and pillow on her couch.
"The police said it looked like he was a good chef. It looked like he had broth and everything in it," she said.
Davis was arrested despite adamantly stating he was in his own home. He was charged with breaking and entering.
According to WNDU, the man told police he had woken up in the apartment, and a woman told him to get a set of keys from a closet. Murray said Davis had a set of her keys in his pocket when he was arrested and suspects Davis had been watching her and saw when she placed a set of keys in a storage unit for her brother to use when he arrived later that night from Indianapolis.
'He really seemed to think this was his home'
When officers asked Davis where he lived he gave officers an address that didn't exist. According to the affidavit, officers had a difficult time understanding his speech.
"Me and the police think he was on some type of drug. He really seemed to think this was his home," Murray told WNDU.
Murray said her son later recognized Davis as a neighbor from across the complex. The son said he had seen Davis watching him and his friends when they played outside.
Davis didn't steal anything beyond the food.
"He drunk up my orange juice, but it's cool because he swept up my floor and folded my clothes," Murray told WNDU.
Prosecutors requested a $5,000 bond because Murray was concerned Davis might return, but the judge lowered it to $1,000. The prosecutor is requesting Davis undergo a psychological evaluation.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tennessee high school principal apologizes for saying black students are “less smart”
A high school principal in Tennessee issued a letter of apology to students and parents after publicly saying his school's black students were "less smart" after scoring lower than other students on recent academic tests.
"The hope was we would share with the students, this is where we are as a school," Principal Ted Horrell said. Local affiliate WREG reported that Horrell took the unusual step of sharing the school's test scores in a live forum with the students. There were reports that black students were taunted after the assembly.
"[My daughter] felt he presented this information to basically reflect the African-American students were all the reason the scores were down," Germantown High parent Deborah Cannon told WREG.
In his apology letter, Horrell wrote, "I unintentionally offended a number of students on this campus. I apologize to all the students and parents who were offended."
However, Horrell said the testing is part of a larger effort to improve the school's overall test scores, but denied specifically drawing racial boundaries. "I did say we have some groups of students that are performing better on standardized tests than others. I certainly didn't say that white students are smarter than black students."
merry Christmas to all the Ohio SGs and SGs the world over !!
Pat is the one truth of modern religion?
Pat Robertson blasts 'SNL' Tim Tebow, Jesus skit
December 20, 2011 | 3:37pm
Televangelist Pat Robertson was not laughing at a skit on NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” last weekend that included a Jesus character, played by Jason Sudeikis, telling pro football player and outspoken Christian Tim Tebow to “take it down a notch.”
Robertson, who’s quick to criticize Hollywood entertainment and pop culture, said the comedy sketch is part of “the anti-Christian bigotry in this country that’s just disgusting.”
“If this had been a Muslim country and they had done that and had Muhammad doing that stuff, you would have found bombs being thrown off and bodies on the street,” he said.
Robertson made his comments on the Christian Broadcast Network, where he’s been a regular fixture for decades. The video snippet was first posted on Mediaite.
Tebow, quarterback for the Denver Broncos, “ought to be applauded,” Robertson said, for publicly expressing his faith at a time when the country’s “losing our moral compass.”
The skit, also starring Andy Samberg and Taran Killem, took place in the Broncos’ locker room, where Jesus showed up to tell the team to step up its game. “I’m doing all the work here,” said Sudeikis’ Jesus.
When Tebow said he consulted the Bible before games, the Jesus character suggested he add the playbook to his reading list.
The comedy bit has gathered more than 2 million views on YouTube as of Tuesday afternoon and has become a viral hit since airing on Saturday.
Robertson wasn’t the only one who took offense — Bob Beckel, speaking on Fox News’ “The Five,” called the sketch “despicable.”
“First of all, it’s despicable to display Jesus Christ, our Lord and savior, like that on ‘Saturday Night Live’ and they should be ashamed of themselves,” Beckel said. “And the fact that this keeps drawing attention to Tebow and Christianity and faith and Jesus and they make it into some sort of a commercial operation … there’s nothing funny about that.”
Tebow himself, an active Twitter user who often posts about his faith, hasn’t commented on the hubbub.
Pat is the one truth of modern religion?
Pat Robertson blasts 'SNL' Tim Tebow, Jesus skit
December 20, 2011 | 3:37pm
Televangelist Pat Robertson was not laughing at a skit on NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” last weekend that included a Jesus character, played by Jason Sudeikis, telling pro football player and outspoken Christian Tim Tebow to “take it down a notch.”
Robertson, who’s quick to criticize Hollywood entertainment and pop culture, said the comedy sketch is part of “the anti-Christian bigotry in this country that’s just disgusting.”
“If this had been a Muslim country and they had done that and had Muhammad doing that stuff, you would have found bombs being thrown off and bodies on the street,” he said.
Robertson made his comments on the Christian Broadcast Network, where he’s been a regular fixture for decades. The video snippet was first posted on Mediaite.
Tebow, quarterback for the Denver Broncos, “ought to be applauded,” Robertson said, for publicly expressing his faith at a time when the country’s “losing our moral compass.”
The skit, also starring Andy Samberg and Taran Killem, took place in the Broncos’ locker room, where Jesus showed up to tell the team to step up its game. “I’m doing all the work here,” said Sudeikis’ Jesus.
When Tebow said he consulted the Bible before games, the Jesus character suggested he add the playbook to his reading list.
The comedy bit has gathered more than 2 million views on YouTube as of Tuesday afternoon and has become a viral hit since airing on Saturday.
Robertson wasn’t the only one who took offense — Bob Beckel, speaking on Fox News’ “The Five,” called the sketch “despicable.”
“First of all, it’s despicable to display Jesus Christ, our Lord and savior, like that on ‘Saturday Night Live’ and they should be ashamed of themselves,” Beckel said. “And the fact that this keeps drawing attention to Tebow and Christianity and faith and Jesus and they make it into some sort of a commercial operation … there’s nothing funny about that.”
Tebow himself, an active Twitter user who often posts about his faith, hasn’t commented on the hubbub.
criminal abuse. fix a flat
Butt injection with 'Fix a Flat' leads to arrest
Transgender woman charged with posing as doctor in Miami area
updated 11/18/2011 5:36:06 PM ET
A Miami Gardens transgender woman is facing charges of practicing medicine without a license after police say she injected a patient's rear with everything but the kitchen sink in an illegal cosmetic surgery procedure.
Oneal Ron Morris, 30, was arrested Friday after an investigation by Miami Gardens Police and the Florida Department of Health.
According to police, the victim saw Morris in May and was injected in her buttocks with a substance consisting of cement, "Fix a Flat," mineral oil and super glue.
See photos, read the original story at NBCMiami.com
The amateur incision was then sealed with super glue, police said. The victim was later hospitalized with a serious medical condition as a result of the injections.
Morris, who police say is a man but appears to look like a woman and sports an apparently enhanced rear herself in arrest photos, was being held on $7,500 bond. it was unknown whether she has an attorney.
Police believe there may be other victims of Morris who may be afraid to come forward. They said the victims haven't done anything illegal and shouldn't be afraid to come forward.
Anyone with information is asked to call Miami Gardens Police at 305-474-1420.
Butt injection with 'Fix a Flat' leads to arrest
Transgender woman charged with posing as doctor in Miami area
updated 11/18/2011 5:36:06 PM ET
A Miami Gardens transgender woman is facing charges of practicing medicine without a license after police say she injected a patient's rear with everything but the kitchen sink in an illegal cosmetic surgery procedure.
Oneal Ron Morris, 30, was arrested Friday after an investigation by Miami Gardens Police and the Florida Department of Health.
According to police, the victim saw Morris in May and was injected in her buttocks with a substance consisting of cement, "Fix a Flat," mineral oil and super glue.
See photos, read the original story at NBCMiami.com
The amateur incision was then sealed with super glue, police said. The victim was later hospitalized with a serious medical condition as a result of the injections.
Morris, who police say is a man but appears to look like a woman and sports an apparently enhanced rear herself in arrest photos, was being held on $7,500 bond. it was unknown whether she has an attorney.
Police believe there may be other victims of Morris who may be afraid to come forward. They said the victims haven't done anything illegal and shouldn't be afraid to come forward.
Anyone with information is asked to call Miami Gardens Police at 305-474-1420.
Florida school scrambles to retrieve prizes with racy images
TALLAHASSEE, Fla - School administrators hoping to reward students for their A+ fund-raising efforts at a Florida elementary school unwittingly gave them X-rated gifts, officials said.
School officials at Jay Elementary School in the Panhandle on Wednesday were trying to collect more than 100 bracelets distributed to students involved in a fund-raising drive after pictures of naked women were found hidden beneath the bracelets' cloth coverings.
Known as slap bracelets, the accessories were handed out to about 160 students. One curious child removed the cloth cover to expose the springy, recycled metal measure tape used to give the bracelet its grip.
Along with inches and centimeter marks, the tape included pictures of partially clothed and nude women, Santa Rosa County School District spokesman Bill Emerson said.
"It was one of those calls you get from parents where you say, "Really?" Emerson said. "Then it turns out to be true."
The school district alerted the Nashville-based company that had purchased the bracelets from a Chinese manufacturer, and the company has stopped shipments of the naughty novelties, Emerson said.
Parents have been understanding, he said. The district is continuing efforts to retrieve the indecent prizes but has so far gotten only a handful back.
He said he wouldn't be surprised if some students keep the bracelets. "Curiosity is bound to get the better of some of them," Emerson said.
SORRY NO PHOTO INCLUDED !!
TALLAHASSEE, Fla - School administrators hoping to reward students for their A+ fund-raising efforts at a Florida elementary school unwittingly gave them X-rated gifts, officials said.
School officials at Jay Elementary School in the Panhandle on Wednesday were trying to collect more than 100 bracelets distributed to students involved in a fund-raising drive after pictures of naked women were found hidden beneath the bracelets' cloth coverings.
Known as slap bracelets, the accessories were handed out to about 160 students. One curious child removed the cloth cover to expose the springy, recycled metal measure tape used to give the bracelet its grip.
Along with inches and centimeter marks, the tape included pictures of partially clothed and nude women, Santa Rosa County School District spokesman Bill Emerson said.
"It was one of those calls you get from parents where you say, "Really?" Emerson said. "Then it turns out to be true."
The school district alerted the Nashville-based company that had purchased the bracelets from a Chinese manufacturer, and the company has stopped shipments of the naughty novelties, Emerson said.
Parents have been understanding, he said. The district is continuing efforts to retrieve the indecent prizes but has so far gotten only a handful back.
He said he wouldn't be surprised if some students keep the bracelets. "Curiosity is bound to get the better of some of them," Emerson said.
SORRY NO PHOTO INCLUDED !!
TWO FACED CAT
WORCESTER, Mass. Frank and Louie the cat was born with two faces, two mouths, two noses, three eyes and lots of doubts about his future.
Now, 12 years after Marty Stevens rescued him from being euthanized because of his condition, the exotic blue-eyed rag doll cat is not only thriving, but has also made it into the 2012 edition of Guinness World Records as the longest-surviving member of a group known as Janus cats, named for a Roman god with two faces.
"Every day is kind of a blessing; being 12 and normal life expectancy when they have this condition is one to four days," Stevens said, stroking Frank and Louie's soft fur as he sat on her lap purring. "So, he's ahead of the game; every day I just thank God I still have him."
Frank and Louie's breeder had taken him to the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University, where Stevens was working at the time, to be euthanized when he was just a day old. Stevens offered to take him home, but experts told her not to get her hopes up.
Janus cats almost never survive, and most have congenital defects, including a cleft palate that makes it difficult for them to nurse and often causes them to slowly starve or get milk in their lungs and die of pneumonia. The condition is the result of a genetic defect that triggers excessive production of a certain kind of protein.
But Frank and Louie did not suffer from most of the common Janus problems. Stevens used feeding tubes to nourish him for three months, hoping that would also save him from the danger of choking on food going down two mouths.
It turned out she didn't have to worry about him choking, because Frank and Louie used just one of his mouths to eat.
"The condition itself is very rare, and I think that the fact that this cat became an adult, a healthy adult, is remarkable," said Dr. Armelle deLaforcade, an associate professor at Cummings and head of the emergency services section.
Colleagues at the veterinary hospital told Stevens that trying to raise Frank and Louie might not be good for him or her.
Still, she "stood firm and stood by the cat, and I'm really glad she did because this cat really has fewer problems than many cats that have very normal anatomies," deLaforcade said.
Frank and Louie's two faces have a complicated relationship. Both noses work, but one mouth does not have a lower jaw and isn't connected to his one esophagus, so he can't eat with it. Stevens discovered that only after the cat got an MRI later in life.
The animal can see out of only two of his three eyes. The middle one can't even blink and makes Frank and Louie appear to be staring even when his other eyes are closed.
Frank and Louie does not seem to be bothered by his condition and has developed a friendly personality. The breed is known for its soft and silky fur, docile temperament and penchant for relaxing in a person's arms like a rag doll.
He is "very, very laid back, not afraid of people, very friendly and he's actually more of a dog than a cat," Stevens said. "He walks on a leash, he goes right in the car; he loves car rides."
People often want to touch Frank and Louie's long, luxurious fur while Stevens is out walking him.
"It's funny because people walk up to him thinking it's a nice, fluffy white cat and they're walking up with a big smile on their face to pat him, like, 'Oh, what a beautiful cat' and I see a look of horror come over their faces when they actually see his face," Stevens said, laughing.
Thirty years ago, a cat like Frank and Louie might not have been given a chance to live.
Said deLaforcade: "You can look at a cat like this as either a very strange and bad omen, or you can look at this cat as a miracle."
]
Murder suspect claims supernatural powers
Murder suspect claims supernatural powers, A Florida teenager is behind bars as an accessory to the brutal murder of 16-year-old Jacob Hendershot. But that may not be the most shocking part of the crime - Stephanie Pistey says she believes she's part vampire and part werewolf.
Florida police say that, in July, Pistey's friends lured Hendershot to a house, killed him, and then left his body in a storm drain. Police had originally said Hendershot's was murdered because Pistey had accused the 16-year-old of raping her, according to CBS affiliate WTSP. suspect vampire werewolf,
Five people so far, including Pistey, are charged in connection to the crime with either murder or accessory after the fact.
Police have previously speculated that there may be more to the case. They say the murder suspects may have been involved in a vampire cult, WTSP reports, and Pistey's claims to vampiredom appear to give credence to the idea.
In a jailhouse interview, Pistey told local station WJHG, "Since I was like, 12...I know this is going to be crazy, but I believe that I'm a vampire. Part of a vampire and part of a werewolf."
Pistey has admitted she was at the home where Hendershot was murdered, but says she was just a babysitter and was watching co-defendant Tammy Morris' two children, reports WTSP. Morris was also charged with accessory to murder.
The 18-year-old denies drinking Hendershot's blood after the murder, but reportedly claims she has drunk the blood of her fiance and co-defendant WilliamChase, 25.
Although she has not yet been convicted of the crime, Pistey says she expects to be behind bars for a long time. suspect vampire werewolf, stephanie pistey,
"Now that I'm here, I'm pretty much figuring out that I'm just going to stay here the rest of my life."
WJHG reports that police say they expect to arrest a sixth person in the case.
[
WORCESTER, Mass. Frank and Louie the cat was born with two faces, two mouths, two noses, three eyes and lots of doubts about his future.
Now, 12 years after Marty Stevens rescued him from being euthanized because of his condition, the exotic blue-eyed rag doll cat is not only thriving, but has also made it into the 2012 edition of Guinness World Records as the longest-surviving member of a group known as Janus cats, named for a Roman god with two faces.
"Every day is kind of a blessing; being 12 and normal life expectancy when they have this condition is one to four days," Stevens said, stroking Frank and Louie's soft fur as he sat on her lap purring. "So, he's ahead of the game; every day I just thank God I still have him."
Frank and Louie's breeder had taken him to the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University, where Stevens was working at the time, to be euthanized when he was just a day old. Stevens offered to take him home, but experts told her not to get her hopes up.
Janus cats almost never survive, and most have congenital defects, including a cleft palate that makes it difficult for them to nurse and often causes them to slowly starve or get milk in their lungs and die of pneumonia. The condition is the result of a genetic defect that triggers excessive production of a certain kind of protein.
But Frank and Louie did not suffer from most of the common Janus problems. Stevens used feeding tubes to nourish him for three months, hoping that would also save him from the danger of choking on food going down two mouths.
It turned out she didn't have to worry about him choking, because Frank and Louie used just one of his mouths to eat.
"The condition itself is very rare, and I think that the fact that this cat became an adult, a healthy adult, is remarkable," said Dr. Armelle deLaforcade, an associate professor at Cummings and head of the emergency services section.
Colleagues at the veterinary hospital told Stevens that trying to raise Frank and Louie might not be good for him or her.
Still, she "stood firm and stood by the cat, and I'm really glad she did because this cat really has fewer problems than many cats that have very normal anatomies," deLaforcade said.
Frank and Louie's two faces have a complicated relationship. Both noses work, but one mouth does not have a lower jaw and isn't connected to his one esophagus, so he can't eat with it. Stevens discovered that only after the cat got an MRI later in life.
The animal can see out of only two of his three eyes. The middle one can't even blink and makes Frank and Louie appear to be staring even when his other eyes are closed.
Frank and Louie does not seem to be bothered by his condition and has developed a friendly personality. The breed is known for its soft and silky fur, docile temperament and penchant for relaxing in a person's arms like a rag doll.
He is "very, very laid back, not afraid of people, very friendly and he's actually more of a dog than a cat," Stevens said. "He walks on a leash, he goes right in the car; he loves car rides."
People often want to touch Frank and Louie's long, luxurious fur while Stevens is out walking him.
"It's funny because people walk up to him thinking it's a nice, fluffy white cat and they're walking up with a big smile on their face to pat him, like, 'Oh, what a beautiful cat' and I see a look of horror come over their faces when they actually see his face," Stevens said, laughing.
Thirty years ago, a cat like Frank and Louie might not have been given a chance to live.
Said deLaforcade: "You can look at a cat like this as either a very strange and bad omen, or you can look at this cat as a miracle."
]
Murder suspect claims supernatural powers
Murder suspect claims supernatural powers, A Florida teenager is behind bars as an accessory to the brutal murder of 16-year-old Jacob Hendershot. But that may not be the most shocking part of the crime - Stephanie Pistey says she believes she's part vampire and part werewolf.
Florida police say that, in July, Pistey's friends lured Hendershot to a house, killed him, and then left his body in a storm drain. Police had originally said Hendershot's was murdered because Pistey had accused the 16-year-old of raping her, according to CBS affiliate WTSP. suspect vampire werewolf,
Five people so far, including Pistey, are charged in connection to the crime with either murder or accessory after the fact.
Police have previously speculated that there may be more to the case. They say the murder suspects may have been involved in a vampire cult, WTSP reports, and Pistey's claims to vampiredom appear to give credence to the idea.
In a jailhouse interview, Pistey told local station WJHG, "Since I was like, 12...I know this is going to be crazy, but I believe that I'm a vampire. Part of a vampire and part of a werewolf."
Pistey has admitted she was at the home where Hendershot was murdered, but says she was just a babysitter and was watching co-defendant Tammy Morris' two children, reports WTSP. Morris was also charged with accessory to murder.
The 18-year-old denies drinking Hendershot's blood after the murder, but reportedly claims she has drunk the blood of her fiance and co-defendant WilliamChase, 25.
Although she has not yet been convicted of the crime, Pistey says she expects to be behind bars for a long time. suspect vampire werewolf, stephanie pistey,
"Now that I'm here, I'm pretty much figuring out that I'm just going to stay here the rest of my life."
WJHG reports that police say they expect to arrest a sixth person in the case.
[Dallas mom beats, bloodies and glues 2-year-old daughter's hands to wall for potty-training accident
A Dallas mother was arrested for unmercifully beating her two-year-old daughter for soiling her pants - leaving the tot in critical condition, police say.
Elizabeth Escalona, 22, dragged her daughter, Joselyn Cedillo, by her feet across her apartment, glued her hands and stuck them to a wall until they bled, a police report says, WFAA-TV reported.
She then beat the little girl with a shoe and a belt, kicked her, and pounded her in the stomach with a jug of milk, the report said.
After allegedly manhandling the girl, Escalona then called her mother in hysterics and said something was wrong with Joselyn, The Associated Press reported.
When her mother arrived, the tot was unconscious. Escalona's mother rushed the girl to a nearby hospital.
She's now in critical condition, with broken bones and head injuries, relatives told the television station.
"We don't know how it happened, but she was covered in bruises," Joselyn's aunt said.
Escalona was arrested for causing an injury to a child; she is being held on $500,000 bond, authorities say.
Joselyn and her three siblings were taken into protective custody.
The case disgusted a Dallas police officer.
"This is beyond abuse," Sgt. Brenda Nichols told The Associated Press. "This is torture."
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what can i say. topless, of course. follow the link. http://www.bing.com/videos/watch/video/topless-protesters-stroll-along-venice-beach/6abdmla?q=skydive&from=en-us_msnhp&rel=msn&cpkey=bd531c6f-ab0f-45d6-9e8a-6499bf5e4c1c%7cskydive%7cmsn%7c%7c&src=v5:share:sharepermalink:
A Dallas mother was arrested for unmercifully beating her two-year-old daughter for soiling her pants - leaving the tot in critical condition, police say.
Elizabeth Escalona, 22, dragged her daughter, Joselyn Cedillo, by her feet across her apartment, glued her hands and stuck them to a wall until they bled, a police report says, WFAA-TV reported.
She then beat the little girl with a shoe and a belt, kicked her, and pounded her in the stomach with a jug of milk, the report said.
After allegedly manhandling the girl, Escalona then called her mother in hysterics and said something was wrong with Joselyn, The Associated Press reported.
When her mother arrived, the tot was unconscious. Escalona's mother rushed the girl to a nearby hospital.
She's now in critical condition, with broken bones and head injuries, relatives told the television station.
"We don't know how it happened, but she was covered in bruises," Joselyn's aunt said.
Escalona was arrested for causing an injury to a child; she is being held on $500,000 bond, authorities say.
Joselyn and her three siblings were taken into protective custody.
The case disgusted a Dallas police officer.
"This is beyond abuse," Sgt. Brenda Nichols told The Associated Press. "This is torture."
*************************************************************************************************************
what can i say. topless, of course. follow the link. http://www.bing.com/videos/watch/video/topless-protesters-stroll-along-venice-beach/6abdmla?q=skydive&from=en-us_msnhp&rel=msn&cpkey=bd531c6f-ab0f-45d6-9e8a-6499bf5e4c1c%7cskydive%7cmsn%7c%7c&src=v5:share:sharepermalink:
Today watching CNN, I saw this scroll on the news scroll bar. Skeleton found in banks chimney is man missing since 1984. I found the story...
Why was skeleton in chimney of Louisiana bank?
Skeletal remains found in the chimney of an Abbeville, Louisiana, bank two months ago have been identified as those of a local man who hadn't been seen in 27 years.
The remains are those of Joseph W. Schexnider, who vanished at age 22 in January 1984, Abbeville police said. His disappearance was noted after he failed to show up for a court hearing on a charge of possession of a stolen vehicle, according to a report from CNN affiliate WAFB-TV in Baton Rouge. When Vermilion Parish sheriff's deputies showed up at his home to take him in to custody, Schexnider's mother said he had fled to avoid arrest.
The remains were discovered in May when construction workers were doing renovations on the Bank of Abbeville, WAFB reported. Tests by the Louisiana State University Forensic Anthropology and Computer Enhancement Services Laboratory established the remains were those of Schexnider, who would be 49 years old now. Authorities say he likely died of dehydration and starvation, reported CNN affiliate KATC-TV in Arcadia-Lafayette.
What remains a mystery is why Schexnider was in the chimney.
Abbeville Police Detective Lt. David Hardy told KATC that Schexnider had gloves and a cigarette lighter on him, but no bag or anything to indicate he planned to carry loot from the bank. And Hardy told the TV station there was nothing to indicate that Schexnider was killed and his body dumped in the chimney.
"There's no signs of foul play in this investigation, so as of now it's going to be a closed case," KATC quotes Hardy as saying.
Hardy told The Advertiser newspaper that if Schexnider had planned a burglary, the chimney was not the way into the historic southwestern Louisiana bank.
"There was no wide-open fireplace at the bottom," The Advertiser quoted Hardy as saying. "It wasn't like a wood-burning fireplace – there was no opening, no large space at the bottom. It wasn't a traditional fireplace – maybe more like something that would burn coal."
And the chimney didn't even open to the bank's main floor, but rather office space on the second floor that had been used for storage for many years, Hardy told CNN.
And how could Schexnider have been missing for nearly three decades in the main branch of a bank which sits right on the main square in the town of 25,000 people?
"His family said he had a history of leaving ... and spending a lot of time away from Abbeville. In fact at one time, he joined the circus and traveled around with them until they left the country," Hardy told KATC.
Relatives are planning a funeral when remains are returned from the LSU lab, police told KATC. In the meantime, they were not commenting.
"His mother is upset that she lost a son, of course, but she is at ease that she now knows where her son is," KATC quotes Hardy as saying.
Why was skeleton in chimney of Louisiana bank?
Skeletal remains found in the chimney of an Abbeville, Louisiana, bank two months ago have been identified as those of a local man who hadn't been seen in 27 years.
The remains are those of Joseph W. Schexnider, who vanished at age 22 in January 1984, Abbeville police said. His disappearance was noted after he failed to show up for a court hearing on a charge of possession of a stolen vehicle, according to a report from CNN affiliate WAFB-TV in Baton Rouge. When Vermilion Parish sheriff's deputies showed up at his home to take him in to custody, Schexnider's mother said he had fled to avoid arrest.
The remains were discovered in May when construction workers were doing renovations on the Bank of Abbeville, WAFB reported. Tests by the Louisiana State University Forensic Anthropology and Computer Enhancement Services Laboratory established the remains were those of Schexnider, who would be 49 years old now. Authorities say he likely died of dehydration and starvation, reported CNN affiliate KATC-TV in Arcadia-Lafayette.
What remains a mystery is why Schexnider was in the chimney.
Abbeville Police Detective Lt. David Hardy told KATC that Schexnider had gloves and a cigarette lighter on him, but no bag or anything to indicate he planned to carry loot from the bank. And Hardy told the TV station there was nothing to indicate that Schexnider was killed and his body dumped in the chimney.
"There's no signs of foul play in this investigation, so as of now it's going to be a closed case," KATC quotes Hardy as saying.
Hardy told The Advertiser newspaper that if Schexnider had planned a burglary, the chimney was not the way into the historic southwestern Louisiana bank.
"There was no wide-open fireplace at the bottom," The Advertiser quoted Hardy as saying. "It wasn't like a wood-burning fireplace – there was no opening, no large space at the bottom. It wasn't a traditional fireplace – maybe more like something that would burn coal."
And the chimney didn't even open to the bank's main floor, but rather office space on the second floor that had been used for storage for many years, Hardy told CNN.
And how could Schexnider have been missing for nearly three decades in the main branch of a bank which sits right on the main square in the town of 25,000 people?
"His family said he had a history of leaving ... and spending a lot of time away from Abbeville. In fact at one time, he joined the circus and traveled around with them until they left the country," Hardy told KATC.
Relatives are planning a funeral when remains are returned from the LSU lab, police told KATC. In the meantime, they were not commenting.
"His mother is upset that she lost a son, of course, but she is at ease that she now knows where her son is," KATC quotes Hardy as saying.
Woman said God told her about plane bomb
Threat made at Ohio ticket counter grounded flights at Washington, D.C. airport
WASHINGTON — The grounding of flights Sunday at Reagan National Airport was prompted by a woman who told an Ohio airport worker that there was a bomb aboard an airplane — a warning she later said she had received in a message from God, the director of Dayton's airport said Monday.
No explosives were found aboard the jet that flew from Dayton International Airport to Reagan, but the threat shut down the airport near Washington for about 20 minutes, the FBI said.
The woman approached a US Airways ticket agent in Dayton about midday Sunday, said Terrence Slaybaugh, director of the Dayton International Airport.
"She communicated to the agent that there was a bomb on board and that people were in danger and they needed to turn the plane around — that people were going to be killed," Slaybaugh told The Associated Press on Monday.
The 54-year-old woman from Shelbyville, Ky., was immediately taken into custody, he said.
She later told police she had received the message about the bomb from God, Slaybaugh said. That explanation was first reported by the Dayton Daily News on Monday.
The woman, whose name was not released, remained at a mental health facility Monday, FBI officials said. She has a history of mental health problems, Slaybaugh said.
No criminal charges have been filed, FBI Special Agent Michael Brooks said Monday. He said he could not comment further.
The woman's car was searched, but nothing unusual was found in it, Slaybaugh said. He was not sure whether she specifically gave the number of US Airways Flight 2596 and didn't know her reaction when she was told that the plane had already departed.
The flight landed around 1 p.m. at the airport just outside Washington, its original destination, and authorities interviewed the 44 passengers, the FBI said.
Copyright 2011 The Associated Press.
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Lights out for the Sea Shadow - Money Well Spent?
By Mike Krumboltz
Call it a funeral at sea for the U.S. Navy's Sea Shadow. The stealth ship, which served as an inspiration for the supervillain's supervessel in the James Bond movie "Tomorrow Never Dies," is set to be dismantled and recycled.
News of the ship's inglorious end (which is probably coming soon) inspired waves of Web searches on Yahoo!. Over the past 24 hours, online lookups for "spy ship 007" and "james bond spy boat" sailed to big gains.
The ship, which resembles a stealth fighter airplane, cost the U.S. Navy $195 million to build and operate, according the U.K.'s Daily Mail. The ship was "never intended for missions, just testing."
If you're thinking the Sea Shadow would look pretty cool in your own backyard, here are a couple of things to consider. According to Fox News, it's about 160 feet long and 70 feet wide. And it hasn't exactly been getting regular oil changes either. A Lockheed Martin spokesman told Fox that the company "hasn't had anything to do with the ship for at least four to five years"--suggesting that the new owner could well be in for some heavy maintenance work.
But all is not lost. Navy spokesman Chris Johnson told Fox that there could still be a last-second taker for the Sea Shadow. If that happens, it would be an escape worthy of 007 himself.
The Navy had hoped that a private buyer would come forward and take the spy ship off its hands. Alas, there were no takers, so the bizarre black Sea Shadow is heading for the scrap heap.
Threat made at Ohio ticket counter grounded flights at Washington, D.C. airport
WASHINGTON — The grounding of flights Sunday at Reagan National Airport was prompted by a woman who told an Ohio airport worker that there was a bomb aboard an airplane — a warning she later said she had received in a message from God, the director of Dayton's airport said Monday.
No explosives were found aboard the jet that flew from Dayton International Airport to Reagan, but the threat shut down the airport near Washington for about 20 minutes, the FBI said.
The woman approached a US Airways ticket agent in Dayton about midday Sunday, said Terrence Slaybaugh, director of the Dayton International Airport.
"She communicated to the agent that there was a bomb on board and that people were in danger and they needed to turn the plane around — that people were going to be killed," Slaybaugh told The Associated Press on Monday.
The 54-year-old woman from Shelbyville, Ky., was immediately taken into custody, he said.
She later told police she had received the message about the bomb from God, Slaybaugh said. That explanation was first reported by the Dayton Daily News on Monday.
The woman, whose name was not released, remained at a mental health facility Monday, FBI officials said. She has a history of mental health problems, Slaybaugh said.
No criminal charges have been filed, FBI Special Agent Michael Brooks said Monday. He said he could not comment further.
The woman's car was searched, but nothing unusual was found in it, Slaybaugh said. He was not sure whether she specifically gave the number of US Airways Flight 2596 and didn't know her reaction when she was told that the plane had already departed.
The flight landed around 1 p.m. at the airport just outside Washington, its original destination, and authorities interviewed the 44 passengers, the FBI said.
Copyright 2011 The Associated Press.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lights out for the Sea Shadow - Money Well Spent?
By Mike Krumboltz
Call it a funeral at sea for the U.S. Navy's Sea Shadow. The stealth ship, which served as an inspiration for the supervillain's supervessel in the James Bond movie "Tomorrow Never Dies," is set to be dismantled and recycled.
News of the ship's inglorious end (which is probably coming soon) inspired waves of Web searches on Yahoo!. Over the past 24 hours, online lookups for "spy ship 007" and "james bond spy boat" sailed to big gains.
The ship, which resembles a stealth fighter airplane, cost the U.S. Navy $195 million to build and operate, according the U.K.'s Daily Mail. The ship was "never intended for missions, just testing."
If you're thinking the Sea Shadow would look pretty cool in your own backyard, here are a couple of things to consider. According to Fox News, it's about 160 feet long and 70 feet wide. And it hasn't exactly been getting regular oil changes either. A Lockheed Martin spokesman told Fox that the company "hasn't had anything to do with the ship for at least four to five years"--suggesting that the new owner could well be in for some heavy maintenance work.
But all is not lost. Navy spokesman Chris Johnson told Fox that there could still be a last-second taker for the Sea Shadow. If that happens, it would be an escape worthy of 007 himself.
The Navy had hoped that a private buyer would come forward and take the spy ship off its hands. Alas, there were no takers, so the bizarre black Sea Shadow is heading for the scrap heap.
