WTF?--- News hot off the press that makes you say--- WTF?

[Stramash]

And just to reinforce some of those ridiculous national stereotypes...

Germans can now grab poolside chairs even earlier

German tourists can now reserve their poolside recliners before they have even left home.

The German arm of Thomas Cook, Europe's second largest travel company, has been deluged with inquiries since announcing that holidaymakers at nine hotels in Turkey, Egypt and the Canary Islands can book recliners in advance for a fee.

Germans are famous around Europe for rising early to reserve recliners near the pool with their towels, and then going back to bed or eating a lengthy breakfast.

This often annoys tourists from other nations, but they will be unable to take advantage of the new service -- it is valid only for holidaymakers booking their trips from Germany, Mathias Brandes, head of communications at Thomas Cook in Germany, said.

(Reporting by Erik Kirschbaum; editing by Robert Woodward)

[SweetieBabie]

48 years old Farang Swiss tourist fell off the 3 stories high ruin temple in Ayuthaya after an attempt to get a shot of photography. Tuesday 28th july 09.

- Matichon online.

[GoodKarma]

World's Largest Dogs

wow admin - standing next to Michael Clarke Duncan who is a very big guy - from the movie green mile - that dog looks huge..pity though these animals may not live a long life because of their size...

48 years old Farang Swiss tourist fell off the 3 stories high ruin temple in Ayuthaya after an attempt to get a shot of photography. Tuesday 28th july 09.

Sweetie sorry but the pictures aren't visible?

[GoodKarma]

WTF? Shaq challenges David beckham on Twitter

O?Neal has challenged Beckham to a game of ?soccerball? in his new reality TV series, Shaq Vs, in which the NBA legend takes on his sporting peers at their own game. shaq tweet beckham... ?Dear david beckham,? tweets Shaq. ?I kno u heard about my Shaq Vs show, anyway u will never score a goal on me, I challenge you lil man.?

O'Neal american basketball center, nicknamed Shaq, will swim against Michael Phelps, the Olympic champion, fight the former world boxing champion Oscar De La Hoya and challenge Serena Williams to a set of tennis in the series.

the no eyebrow look seems to be in high fashion these days?.

In high fashion circles, eyebrows are being bleached, shaved or covered with wax-like makeup in order to create a blank, emotionless canvas. The effect? A severe, static look on models and other trendsetters who are experimenting with this new "beauty" movement.

here we go again!!!man spots face of jesus in burger grease.

Builder Oliver Bellerby discovered this incredible image of Jesus in a baking tray. Oliver spotted the perfectly formed face of Christ in browned fat after cooking a burger for a dinner.

Harvard Professor Gates Is Half-Irish, Related to Cop Who Arrested Him.

Henry Louis Gates Jr., the black professor at the center of the racial story involving his arrest outside his Harvard University-owned house, has spoken proudly of his Irish roots.

Cambridge Police Officer James Crowley, and Harvard University professor Henry Louis Gates Jr., who share an Irish lineage.

Strangely enough, he and the Cambridge, Mass., police officer who arrested him, Sgt. James Crowley, both trace their ancestry back to the legendary Niall of the Nine Hostages.

In a PBS series on African-American ancestry that he hosted in 2008, Gates discovered his Irish roots when he found he was descended from an Irish immigrant and a slave girl.

He went to Trinity College in Dublin to have his DNA analyzed. There he found that he shared 10 of the 11 DNA matches with offspring of Niall of the Nine Hostages, the fourth century warlord who created one of the dominant strains of Irish genealogy because he had so many offspring.

school internet filter blocked educational sites but allowed porn.

AN INTERNET filter installed by the NSW education department gave students access to pornographic material - but blocked educational sites. the state educations minsters website was blocked.

ugly arse python dies at memphis zoo, known for eating whole hogs. what a pig

Ann died at the memphis zoo she was 18 which is old for a python

Ann last made news in March when she was fed a dead pig that weighed about 30 pounds.

In fact, she feasted on whole hog once every two or three months and interested observers regularly contacted the zoo in order to attend her feedings.

Ann came to the zoo 10 years ago and had been captured in the wild in Indonesia.

[maidai]

US Student Disappears in Thailand

(July 29) - An international search is under way for a 29-year-old Auburn University veterinary student who vanished under what appears to be unusual circumstances in Thailand.

The family of Michael Griffin Harrie is pleading for help in locating him. "We just don't know what happened to him," Paul Harrie told CNN about his missing son. "I now know the meaning of living a nightmare."

In a media release, Alabama's Auburn University said Harrie, a second-year student at the veterinary school, was attending a summer study abroad program in Morioka, Japan. He informed a professor he was going to take a one-week vacation with friends to Bangkok, Thailand, that would begin on July 7.

"He said he would be back on the 14th," his father explained. But Harrie never returned to his studies. And when he failed to meet up with his parents in Tokyo on July 16, they reported him missing.

The investigation into Harrie's disappearance is being led by Bangkok police. The American Embassy in Thailand has also been notified, and Auburn University has dispatched two representatives to Japan.

"The role there is to provide assistance to the family," Auburn University communication director Michael Clardy told CNN.

The best clues to finding Harrie appear on video.

Harrie's father, who hired a private detective agency to assist in the search, said surveillance tape from Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi airport on July 14 shows his son entering the airport but then exiting the terminal before checking in for his flight. Why would he suddenly turn around and leave remains a mystery

Has any Bar girls seen this guy, please contact US Embassy.

[Hobbes]

http://www.worldslargestdog1.com/Guinness_records_set_by_dogs.html

If that dog starts humping your leg it will be hard to ignore...

:twisted:

[LakeGeneve]

Had to read this twice yesterday to ensure that I fully understood that a PR person was hit by shrapnel during a secuirty excercise using a mock bomb! Only in Thailand?!!! :roll:

Official hurt in bomb drill THEERAWAT KHAMTHITA 29/07/2009

CHIANG RAI : A Public Relations Department official has been seriously injured in a blast during a bomb drill at the provincial airport. Kangwan Prima, 35, received shrapnel injuries to his chest during the drill at 11.30am yesterday.

The exercise was presided over by Kulya Pakakrong, the senior executive vice-president of Airports of Thailand Plc in charge of regional airports. It was held in the airport parking lot attended by about 80 people.

A suspicious-looking black suitcase was placed in a parking space. A bomb disposal team was called in to neutralise the mock bomb using gunpowder supplied by a border ranger unit in Phayao. The impact of the deactivation caused a 2cm metal fragment to lodge in Mr Kangwan's chest while he filmed the exercise from 20 metres away.

The fragment was believed to be part of the suitcase. Mr Kangwan was sent for treatment at Kasemrad Sriburin Hospital. Doctors said he was in a stable condition.

Chiang Rai airport director Yutthana Jitrob-aree said the airport would cover all medical costs. He said safety would be a top priority in the next emergency drill. An investigation into the cause of the accident is under way.

Kangwan Prima, a Public Relations Department official, is assisted yesterday after receiving chest injuries during a bomb drill at Chiang Rai airport.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/security/21088/official-hurt-in-bomb-drill

[toma]

Had to read this twice yesterday to ensure that I fully understood that a PR person was hit by shrapnel during a secuirty excercise using a mock bomb! Only in Thailand?!!! :roll:

Official hurt in bomb drill THEERAWAT KHAMTHITA 29/07/2009

CHIANG RAI : A Public Relations Department official has been seriously injured in a blast during a bomb drill at the provincial airport. Kangwan Prima, 35, received shrapnel injuries to his chest during the drill at 11.30am yesterday.

The exercise was presided over by Kulya Pakakrong, the senior executive vice-president of Airports of Thailand Plc in charge of regional airports. It was held in the airport parking lot attended by about 80 people.

A suspicious-looking black suitcase was placed in a parking space. A bomb disposal team was called in to neutralise the mock bomb using gunpowder supplied by a border ranger unit in Phayao. The impact of the deactivation caused a 2cm metal fragment to lodge in Mr Kangwan's chest while he filmed the exercise from 20 metres away.

The fragment was believed to be part of the suitcase. Mr Kangwan was sent for treatment at Kasemrad Sriburin Hospital. Doctors said he was in a stable condition.

Chiang Rai airport director Yutthana Jitrob-aree said the airport would cover all medical costs. He said safety would be a top priority in the next emergency drill. An investigation into the cause of the accident is under way.

Kangwan Prima, a Public Relations Department official, is assisted yesterday after receiving chest injuries during a bomb drill at Chiang Rai airport.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/security/21088/official-hurt-in-bomb-drill

That makes me say "WTF?!".

Bad karma.

[Hobbes]

Had to read this twice yesterday to ensure that I fully understood that a PR person was hit by shrapnel during a secuirty excercise using a mock bomb! Only in Thailand?!!! :roll:

Official hurt in bomb drill THEERAWAT KHAMTHITA 29/07/2009

CHIANG RAI : A Public Relations Department official has been seriously injured in a blast during a bomb drill at the provincial airport. Kangwan Prima, 35, received shrapnel injuries to his chest during the drill at 11.30am yesterday.

The exercise was presided over by Kulya Pakakrong, the senior executive vice-president of Airports of Thailand Plc in charge of regional airports. It was held in the airport parking lot attended by about 80 people.

A suspicious-looking black suitcase was placed in a parking space. A bomb disposal team was called in to neutralise the mock bomb using gunpowder supplied by a border ranger unit in Phayao. The impact of the deactivation caused a 2cm metal fragment to lodge in Mr Kangwan's chest while he filmed the exercise from 20 metres away.

The fragment was believed to be part of the suitcase. Mr Kangwan was sent for treatment at Kasemrad Sriburin Hospital. Doctors said he was in a stable condition.

Chiang Rai airport director Yutthana Jitrob-aree said the airport would cover all medical costs. He said safety would be a top priority in the next emergency drill. An investigation into the cause of the accident is under way.

Kangwan Prima, a Public Relations Department official, is assisted yesterday after receiving chest injuries during a bomb drill at Chiang Rai airport.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/security/21088/official-hurt-in-bomb-drill

And there are people still thinking Thai civil servants are not dedicated to providing service to their country... :roll:

Nice find and a real WTF, LG.

[LakeGeneve]

Not quite Olga from the Russian salon but a moral of why a good buck should never expose his arse to a stripper.....Note the quote of the strippers lawyer at the end of the article!

Best man allegedly raped by stripper at buck?s night July 30, 2009

THE Melbourne trial of a stripper accused of violating the best man at a buck?s night with a strap-on pink dildo will decide the crucial issue of deliberate penetration against the unusual suggestion of possible ??accidental rape??.

A County Court jury was yesterday told to approach their task free of sympathy, emotion or bias and to put views of strippers and buck?s nights ??out of your mind??.

Prosecutor Kieran Gilligan told the jury they had to be satisfied there was penetration, if even slight, that it was deliberate, without consent and that Linda Maree Naggs, 40, knew the man was not consenting.

But Naggs? barrister, Paul Higham, asked the jury to have ??in the back of your mind?? issues of male sexuality and pride, fear, ego and peer group pressure.

He said if there was penetration it was accidental and he asked what led the man to ??place himself in proximity to the dildo??, which he described as ??arguably statuesque??. Naggs, who has pleaded not guilty, is alleged to have thrust the dildo into the man?s anus during a naked XXX-rated show in a house in Mornington on September 24, 2007.

Mr Gilligan told the jury that the man had replaced the groom and another volunteer who were reluctant to continue their involvement with Naggs. He said after she did a lap dance, rubbed her breasts in his face and used the dildo on herself, he asked her: ??Be gentle. Don?t do it too hard.?? ??No worries,?? Mr Gilligan said Naggs replied.

When the man, who was on all fours and naked from the knees up, asked her not to go near his anus, she allegedly said: ??Not a problem. Relax. It?s only fun. I won?t go there.?? But Mr Gilligan said that soon after Naggs applied cream or lubricant to his buttocks, he felt a sharp pain, a thrust and the dildo ??go right into his anal passage??.

He said the man was hurt and shocked and after Naggs allegedly told him not to worry because ??only you and I know??, he said: ??What the f--- did you do that for, you stupid *****.?? Mr Gilligan said the man complained to police later that day while a medical examination showed a small abrasion below his anal verge ??most likely caused by blunt trauma??.

Mr Higham submitted that if there was penetration it was accidental so ??this is a case, if you like, of accidental rape??. He described the facts as unique, involving a working mother and professional dancer of 13 years. The trial continues before Judge Tim Wood.

[Admin_2]

Had to read this twice yesterday to ensure that I fully understood that a PR person was hit by shrapnel during a secuirty excercise using a mock bomb! Only in Thailand?!!! :roll:

Official hurt in bomb drill THEERAWAT KHAMTHITA 29/07/2009

CHIANG RAI : A Public Relations Department official has been seriously injured in a blast during a bomb drill at the provincial airport. Kangwan Prima, 35, received shrapnel injuries to his chest during the drill at 11.30am yesterday.

The exercise was presided over by Kulya Pakakrong, the senior executive vice-president of Airports of Thailand Plc in charge of regional airports. It was held in the airport parking lot attended by about 80 people.

A suspicious-looking black suitcase was placed in a parking space. A bomb disposal team was called in to neutralise the mock bomb using gunpowder supplied by a border ranger unit in Phayao. The impact of the deactivation caused a 2cm metal fragment to lodge in Mr Kangwan's chest while he filmed the exercise from 20 metres away.

The fragment was believed to be part of the suitcase. Mr Kangwan was sent for treatment at Kasemrad Sriburin Hospital. Doctors said he was in a stable condition.

Chiang Rai airport director Yutthana Jitrob-aree said the airport would cover all medical costs. He said safety would be a top priority in the next emergency drill. An investigation into the cause of the accident is under way.

Kangwan Prima, a Public Relations Department official, is assisted yesterday after receiving chest injuries during a bomb drill at Chiang Rai airport.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/security/21088/official-hurt-in-bomb-drill

Even though I say that nothing surprises me anymore...I realize that it's not really true when I hear things like this. I mean, WTF?!!

Not being able to make a drill about public safety safe? I feel like I'm taking crazy pills.

:evil: :shock: :evil:

[Jester]

Ivonete Pereira, 58, was shot in the chest by one of two attackers who tried to rob the bus in Salvador, capital of the northeastern state of Bahia in Brazil.

But she was saved by coiled notes worth 150 reals (around £45) tucked away inside the left side of her bra.

Ms Pereira had stowed the cash away as she knew the buses were a repeat target for robbers.

She had been travelling to her summer home in the nearby town of Lauro de Freitas when the attack happened.

When the bus passed through the Boca do Rio neighborhood, the robbers suddenly struck.

A shootout ensued with a police officer on the scene, during which a stray bullet hit Ms Pereira.

Her bra was stuffed with just enough cash to absorb most of the impact, although she still had to be taken to hospital to have the bullet removed.

[Hobbes]

Ivonete Pereira, 58, was shot in the chest by one of two attackers who tried to rob the bus in Salvador, capital of the northeastern state of Bahia in Brazil.

But she was saved by coiled notes worth 150 reals (around £45) tucked away inside the left side of her bra.

Ms Pereira had stowed the cash away as she knew the buses were a repeat target for robbers.

She had been travelling to her summer home in the nearby town of Lauro de Freitas when the attack happened.

When the bus passed through the Boca do Rio neighborhood, the robbers suddenly struck.

A shootout ensued with a police officer on the scene, during which a stray bullet hit Ms Pereira.

Her bra was stuffed with just enough cash to absorb most of the impact, although she still had to be taken to hospital to have the bullet removed.

Kevlar-padded bra's....I sure can see a business oportunity there somewhere. :wink:

[Jester]

Ivonete Pereira, 58, was shot in the chest by one of two attackers who tried to rob the bus in Salvador, capital of the northeastern state of Bahia in Brazil.

But she was saved by coiled notes worth 150 reals (around £45) tucked away inside the left side of her bra.

Ms Pereira had stowed the cash away as she knew the buses were a repeat target for robbers.

She had been travelling to her summer home in the nearby town of Lauro de Freitas when the attack happened.

When the bus passed through the Boca do Rio neighborhood, the robbers suddenly struck.

A shootout ensued with a police officer on the scene, during which a stray bullet hit Ms Pereira.

Her bra was stuffed with just enough cash to absorb most of the impact, although she still had to be taken to hospital to have the bullet removed.

Kevlar-padded bra's....I sure can see a business oportunity there somewhere. :wink:

has already been done ..

.http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/germany/2497655/Bullet-resistant-bras-for-German-police.html

[GoodKarma]

Guide to holiday makers.

Singing whilst wearing a swimming costume and carrying an ice cream cone in a back pocket on a Sunday are just two foreign laws of which British holidaymakers should be wary, according to a new guide.

Here is the list of examples of which they say holidaymakers should be aware:

- In Milan it is a legal requirement to smile at all times, except during funerals or hospital visits.

- In Massachusetts, taxi drivers are prohibited from making love in the front seat of the car during their shifts.

- In Denmark, people are legally obliged to honk the horn and check for small children underneath the car.

- In Thailand, it is illegal for anyone to leave a building without wearing their pants. :shock: :shock:

- In Michigan, anyone planning on bathing in public must have their swim suit inspected by a police officer.

- In Florida, any unmarried woman who parachutes on a Sunday could be jailed. Singing while wearing a swimming costume is also prohibited.

- In Portugal it is unlawful to urinate in the sea.

- : - (WTF?) - In Hong Kong the wife of a husband who commits adultery is legally entitled to kill the mistress in any manner desired, and the husband with just her bare hands.

- In Switzerland flushing the lavatory after 10pm is illegal.

- In Canada if you are arrested and then released from prison, it is a legal requirement that the felon is given a handgun with bullets and a horse, so they can ride safely out of the town.

Fluffy muffy video - reunited with owners after mssing for 9 years.

Something really smells about this story.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. ? In what might embarrass less adventurous souls, astronaut Koichi Wakata is returning to Earth with the underwear he kept on for a solid month during his space station stay and scientists will check them out.

They're experimental high-tech undies, designed in Japan to be odor free.

The Japanese spaceman described his underwear test Thursday as shuttle Endeavour and its crew aimed for a touchdown the next morning. The astronauts released some mini satellites, their final job before Friday's re-entry, and said it was time to come home after more than two weeks aloft.

Wakata has been off the planet for 4 1/2 months.

Lie dectector stunt police probe rape claim.

Police are investigating the alleged rape of a teenage girl who revealed her experience during a live stunt featuring a lie detector on commercial radio station 2DayFM yesterday.

Shock jock Kyle Sandilands and his co-host Jackie O invited a mother to ask her 14-year-old daughter questions about her experiences with sex and drugs while she was supposedly hooked up to a lie detector.

The segment was cut short when the girl said she had ben raped when she was 12 years old.

I escaped a killer chipmunk attack.

A YOUNG mum told yesterday how she is too frightened to go in her garden - after she was attacked by a "killer" Siberian chipmunk.

Roxanne Whelan spotted two of the snappy critters when she popped out of her house for a ciggie.

One ran towards her and hopped on a sofa she keeps in the garden, a couple of feet away from her.

Roxanne, 20, said: "It was staring right at me and wasn't frightened of me at all. The next thing I knew it was jumping straight towards me and went on the attack.

[GoodKarma]

Sydney lottery winner thought powerball email was a spam.

Sydney's mystery $40 million Powerball lottery winner has finally come forward to claim her prize.

Most people would send an email marked "lottery winner" straight to the spam folder, and in most cases they would be right.

But one Sydney woman's scepticism could have cost her a fortune this morning.

NSW Lotteries were forced to try and contact the Penrith woman via email, after she bought a ticket in the $80 million Powerball draw but failed to leave a phone number.

The woman said she only saw the email after hearing radio reports about the unconfirmed winner but remained cautious until she checked her numbers.

"I saw there was an email to contact NSW Lotteries but I didn?t think I could be that lucky," she said.

"I went on the internet to check my numbers and found out that I had won $40 million."

Her husband urged to check her inbox after hearing a radio bulletin about an unconfirmed western Sydney winner.

"I said to my husband, 'We're not in Western Sydney,' but he said: 'Yes we are.'

"Then I said: 'There is no way we would have won $40 million,' and he said 'Why not? Our ticket has got just as much chance as anyone else's.'"

[R.Win]

Sydney lottery winner thought powerball email was a spam.

Sydney's mystery $40 million Powerball lottery winner has finally come forward to claim her prize.

Most people would send an email marked "lottery winner" straight to the spam folder, and in most cases they would be right.

But one Sydney woman's scepticism could have cost her a fortune this morning.

NSW Lotteries were forced to try and contact the Penrith woman via email, after she bought a ticket in the $80 million Powerball draw but failed to leave a phone number.

The woman said she only saw the email after hearing radio reports about the unconfirmed winner but remained cautious until she checked her numbers.

"I saw there was an email to contact NSW Lotteries but I didn?t think I could be that lucky," she said.

"I went on the internet to check my numbers and found out that I had won $40 million."

Her husband urged to check her inbox after hearing a radio bulletin about an unconfirmed western Sydney winner.

"I said to my husband, 'We're not in Western Sydney,' but he said: 'Yes we are.'

"Then I said: 'There is no way we would have won $40 million,' and he said 'Why not? Our ticket has got just as much chance as anyone else's.'"

...close call

[Admin_2]

"Then I said: 'There is no way we would have won $40 million,' and he said 'Why not? Our ticket has got just as much chance as anyone else's.'"

And what are the chances of winning the lottery?

I'm gonna go check my spam folder now.

:roll:

[GoodKarma]

"Then I said: 'There is no way we would have won $40 million,' and he said 'Why not? Our ticket has got just as much chance as anyone else's.'"

And what are the chances of winning the lottery?

I'm gonna go check my spam folder now.

:roll:

ok here's the odds according to a statistician

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rX4R7HkVzPs

[Admin_2]

ROME (AP)?Michael Phelps beat Milorad Cavic again. No doubt about it.

With a defiant performance in a supposedly inferior suit, Phelps stayed close over the outward lap and rallied on the return to become the first swimmer to break 50 seconds in the 100-meter butterfly, beating the Serbian with a time of 49.82.

Cavic also broke 50 seconds, but 49.95 was only good enough for silver. He wasn?t nearly as close as last year?s Beijing Olympics, when Phelps famously won by one-hundredth of a second and Cavic always maintained that he actually touched first.

When Phelps saw his time at the Foro Italico, he hopped up on the lane rope separating him and Cavic, threw up his arms and let out a scream toward his mom and sister in the stands.

Showing as much emotion as he ever has, Phelps also slapped the water and tugged at his Speedo LZR Racer swimsuit?no doubt in reference to Cavic offering to get Phelps one of those supposedly faster polyurethane suits so he wouldn?t have any excuses.

No need, Milorad.

Phelps did just fine with his own attire.

?It doesn?t matter what suit you wear,? Phelps said. ?It matters how you train.?

The two rivals finally shook hands, but that was about it.

Nothing more needed to be said.

?This is just a testament to Michael Phelps,? Cavic said. ?He can do it all.?

Cavic did say one thing to Phelps: ?You?re the man.?

?He just looked at me and smiled,? Cavic said. ?He knows it.?

In one of the most memorable events of the Beijing Olympics, Phelps pulled out an improbable victory on his final half-stroke to beat Cavic by the narrowest possible margin. Without that win, Phelps would not have broken Mark Spitz?s record with eight gold medals in a single games.

Cavic has stewed over the loss ever since, believing he touched first but didn?t put as much pressure on the touchpad as Phelps, who ad-libbed a final half-stroke and crashed into the wall much harder. Even though all electronic and photographic evidence shows Phelps won, Cavic repeated his claims when he got to Rome.

He also tried to get into Phelps? head, saying it was the American?s own fault for sticking with a Speedo suit that isn?t as fast as polyurethane models such as the Arena X-Glide, which Cavic wears.

The Serbian offered to get Phelps an X-Glide ?within the hour,? or buy him another of the rubberized suits out of his own pocket. Cavic said he would really prefer to race Phelps wearing nothing but briefs, so everyone would know who the best man is without any help from the suits.

Phelps said he would do his talking in the pool.

?How can it not motivate you? When there are things that are said, the only thing it does for me is fire me up,? he said. ?It does nothing but literally motivate me to no end, and I love it.?

Phelps set his second world record of the fastest meet in history and got back the mark Cavic snatched away a night earlier with a time of 51.01 in the semifinals.

Phelps also won his fourth gold medal of the championships, to go along with that silver he grudgingly accepted after losing to Germany?s Paul Biedermann in the 200 free. Phelps has one event left?the 400 medley relay Sunday night, assuming the U.S. doesn?t mess up in the morning prelims. The Americans will be a heavy favorite in that one, as always.

Three other world records were set Saturday, bringing the total to 39 with one day left at the final meet for high-tech bodysuits.

Kirsty Coventry of Zimbabwe took down her down mark in the 200 backstroke, winning in 2 minutes, 4.81 seconds. Russia?s Anastasia Zueva also went under Coventry?s old mark of 2:05.24, but her 2:04.94 was only good enough for the silver. American Elizabeth Beisel claimed bronze.

China claimed the record in the women?s 400-meter medley relay. Li Zhesi finished it off in 3:52.19 to beat the mark set by Australia (3:52.69) at the Beijing Olympics. The Aussies also went under the old mark, settling for silver in 3:52.58. Germany took the bronze.

The winning team also included Zhao Jing, Chen Huijia and Jiao Liuyang.

In a semifinal heat of a non-Olympic event, Britain?s Liam Tancock set a world record of 24.08 in the 50 backstroke, eclipsing the mark of 24.33 held by American Randall Bal. Junya Koga of Japan also went under the previous record time to win the second heat at 24.29. The final is Sunday night.

Cesar Cielo of Brazil completed a sweep of the freestyle sprints with the 50-meter title. Cielo added to his title in the 100 with a one-lap time of 21.08 to hold off world-record holder Fred Bousquet (21.21) and fellow Frenchman Amaury Leveaux (21.25).

Managing to win world titles without world records: Australia?s Marieke Guehrer in the women?s 50 fly and Lotte Friis of Denmark in women?s 800 freestyle. Olympic champion and 800 world-record holder Rebecca Adlington finished fourth.

After switching suits, going from Speedo to Jaked, 42-year-old American Dara Torres barely managed to qualify for the final of the 50 free. She was eighth fastest in the semifinals, claiming the final spot in Sunday?s race but not giving herself much chance to duplicate her silver-medal showing at Beijing, where she lost to Germany?s Britta Steffen by one-hundredth of a second.

Phelps? last individual event in Rome was a classic tortoise-versus-hare matchup, with Cavic knowing he would need a big lead at the turn, and Phelps fully aware he would have to be close enough to pull it out with his typically strong finish.

Cavic knew he was in trouble when Phelps was right on his shoulder as they kicked away from the far wall, just 0.77 separating them.

?I was pretty sure I was going to be ahead at the first turn,? said Cavic, who wanted to be at least a second ahead. ?When I saw him right there, uh oh.?

Phelps appeared to be sneaking underwater glances in Cavic?s direction all the way back, then finished in one last swoop of his arms. Bare-chested teammate Ryan Lochte, watching from the sunny side of the stands, kept screaming, ?Come on!? Mom Debbie Phelps looked as though she could barely breathe as she watched the finish.

?I felt so good coming off the wall,? Phelps said. ?My kick off the wall felt really, really good. I saw the splash out of my left eye from his lane coming over, and I saw him getting closer and closer, and I heard the crowd getting louder and louder. I figured it was going to come down to the touch again.?

Not really. Unlike Beijing, where Phelps trailed to the last possible split-second and ad-libbed a desperate half-stroke to beat a gliding Cavic, the American was clearly ahead.

He didn?t even hear what Cavic had to say when it was over. The Serbian hung on the lane rope, as if wanting to make peace, but Phelps was too busy celebrating.

?That satisfied me a little bit,? Phelps quipped with that crooked grin of his. ?I set it up perfectly.?

No doubt about it.

[GoodKarma]

It was a great sports sunday for me at least

I don't really think you can hold down greatness. - dayum this guy is good

ROME (AP) ? Michael Phelps had every reason to be satisfied after the Beijing Olympics. Yet he kept insisting there was more to do in the pool.

Clearly.

Even coming off his longest layoff and the embarrassment of being photographed inhaling from a marijuana pipe, Phelps turned in another remarkable performance over eight days at the Foro Italico. He completed it Sunday night by helping the U.S. 400-meter medley relay team set the 43rd world record of the fastest meet in history.

OK, he didn't win another eight golds. This time, he made do with five golds and a silver.

Still, Phelps showed plenty of fire, even when there's really nothing left to prove.

Tiger does it again.

how does this guy do this last week he got cut from the british open this week he wins a major. just to be fair he is still recouping from a knee injury.

Jobless grad sues her college for $70,000.

NEW YORK - A New York City woman who says she can't find a job is suing the college where she earned a bachelor's degree.

Trina Thompson filed a lawsuit last week against Monroe College in Bronx Supreme Court. The 27-year-old is seeking the $70,000 she spent on tuition.

Thompson says she's been unable to find gainful employment since she received her information technology degree in April

Boxer Rob Newbiggin lost every friend after revealing sex change plan.

Rob Newbiggin, a 44-year-old British boxer, says he's being driven out of the town he loves after admitting he will undergo a sex-change operation.

According to the Southport Visiter report, Newbiggin will soon begin a new life as a woman known as Mercedes following the operation, but when the news broke in a daily tabloid newspaper, he lost all his friends. "I have lost every friend I have ever had in the world in this town," he said.

Newbiggin, who has sparred in the ring with former welterweight champion Ricky Hatton, claims that the tabloid made him out to be "some kind of freak."

"My friends don't want to know me. I've got people winding their windows down shouting abuse at me while I go for my run -- that's why we are having to relocate. I have to think about my kids," Newbiggin told the Visiter.

Despite the harsh reaction from the town of Southport, his wife Emma is standing by him through the sex change. "Emma has been my rock," Newbiggin said. "She understands what I'm going through and we are going to stay together."

Newbiggin doesn't feel it matters whether he's a mother or a father, just as long as he's a good parent to his three children. "And I think I'll be a better parent as a woman. I haven't provided enough financial stability in my male life for my children."

He's currently slated to fight Michael Gomez on August 14 in his last male fight, but his plan is to apply for a female license from the Boxing Board of Control so that he can continue his 20-year boxing career.

[Ngairo]

Women glue cheating husband's genitals

Last updated 11:51 04/08/2009

Two US women who had affairs with a married man are accused of luring him to a motel where, joined by the man's wife and a friend, they tied him up and applied glue to his private parts.

Therese Ziemann invited the man to a Wisconsin motel tied him up, promised a massage and then sent text messages to the other women, according to Calumet County prosecutors.

Once all the women were there, they confronted him about his infidelity, police say.

Ziemann punched him in the face and glued his penis to his stomach with glue, according to the criminal complaint.

The women fled the motel when the man started screaming, officials said.

Ziemann, 48, Michelle Belliveau, 43, Wendy L Sewell, 43 and the man's wife were all charged with false imprisonment and face up to six years in prison. Ziemann also is charged with fourth-degree sexual assault.

The women were freed on US$200 cash bails.

Investigators say all the women but Belliveau were romantically involved with the man. Online court records didn't list defence attorneys for any of the women.

The Associated Press is not naming the man's wife to protect his identity as an alleged victim of sexual assault.

The women's plot for revenge unfolded last Thursday at the Lakeview Motel southwest of Green Bay in the tiny village of Stockbridge near the scenic shores of Lake Winnebago.

Criminal complaints filed on Friday allege the man agreed to be bound with "sheer sheets" and blindfolded with a pillowcase for a "rub down" by Ziemann. She instead cut off his underwear with a scissors and summoned the others to the room with a text message.

Ziemann struck the man in the face, and used glue to attach his penis to his stomach when the other women arrived, according to the complaints.

The man told investigators he also was threatened with a gun. Ziemann told investigators she didn't have a gun but may have told the victim, "Do you know how much I want to shoot you?"

He started screaming and the women rushed off fearful that he could get loose and hurt them, but allegedly took his wallet, vehicle and mobilel phone.

Ziemann told investigators she met the man online, fell in love and paid for his use of a room at the motel for the past two months. She said she gave him about US$3000.

Then last Wednesday, she learned from the man's wife that he was married and had other girlfriends "using them for money." She expected the money to be repaid, according to the documents.

During Thursday's confrontation with the man, Ziemann told investigators Sewell asked him, "Which one do you love more?" and the man's wife made a derisive remark about him being scared.

The man got free from the bed by chewing through one of his bindings, went outside and borrowed a telephone from the motel owner to call police.

Ziemann and Belliveau are sisters and Belliveau didn't do anything wrong, Sewell said on Monday. "She was just there for moral support. She wasn't even dating the guy. She stood at the door the whole time and didn't participate or nothing."

http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/americas/2718520/Women-glue-cheating-husbands-genitals

[Hobbes]

Beats having it fed to the ducks. :roll:

:twisted:

[LakeGeneve]

Beats having it fed to the ducks. :roll:

Have to agree on that, better to lose a bit of skin than the whole package!

Still if you play with fire....you sort of have to expect to get burnt.

[Stramash]

Australian and New Zealander freemasons arrested for sorcery in Fiji

A group of fourteen Freemasons were arrested and held in Fiji on charges of sorcery. The group, which included eight Australians and one New Zealander, was arrested on Tuesday night on Denarau Island. They were held for 24 hours at the police station at Nasudi, but were released by order of Prime Minister of Fiji Frank Bainimarama.

The Freemasons had been convening a Masonic meeting, but did not, according to the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, have the correct permit. Waisea Tabakau, the police director of operations, told Legend FM News in Fiji that the Freemasons were being investigated for "allegedly practising sorcery", after complaints by villagers.

The New Zealander commented to reporters that his time in police custody had been "wretched", and that the arrests had been the result of "dopey village people".

A spokesman for the ADFAT stated that Fiji police were continuing their investigations.