… Finally Friday … May 18 th 2007

Here is an actual sign posted at a golf club in Scottsdale, Arizona: 1. BACK STRAIGHT, KNEES BENT, FEET SHOULDER WIDTH APART. 2. FORM A LOOSE GRIP. 3. KEEP YOUR HEAD DOWN! 4. AVOID A QUICK BACK SWING. 5. STAY OUT OF THE WATER. 6. TRY NOT TO HIT ANYONE. 7. IF YOU ARE TAKING TOO LONG, LET OTHERS GO AHEAD OF YOU. 8. DON'T STAND DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF OTHERS. 9. QUIET PLEASE...WHILE OTHERS ARE PREPARING TO GO. 10. DON'T TAKE EXTRA STROKES. WELL DONE - NOW FLUSH THE URINAL, GO OUTSIDE, AND TEE OFF.

Bottled water has high environmental costs From correspondents in Washington May 11, 2007 07:47am BOTTLED water, the world's fastest growing beverage, carries a heavy environmental cost, adding plastic to landfills and putting pressure on natural springs, the author of a new US report said today. "Bottled water is really expensive, in terms of environmental costs and economically," said Ling Li, who wrote the report for the Washington-based Worldwatch Institute. While many in developed countries thirst for safety, cleanliness, taste and social cachet when they buy bottled water, more than one billion of the world's poorest lack access to clean drinking water, bottled or not. And in developed countries, bottled water may be scrutinised using lower standards than plain tap water, the report said. The environmental impact can start at the source, where some local streams and underground aquifers become depleted when there is "excessive withdrawal" for bottled water, according to the report. In addition to the energy cost of producing, bottling, packaging, storing and shipping bottled water, there is also the environmental cost of the millions of tonnes of oil-derived plastic needed to make the bottles.

Chinese "e-cigarette" helps you stub out the habit Wed May 9, 2007 7:31AM EDT HONG KONG (Reuters Life!) - It feels like a cigarette, looks like a cigarette but it isn't bad for your health. A Chinese company marketing the world's first "electronic" cigarette hopes to double sales this year as it expands overseas and as some of China's legions of smokers try to quit. Golden Dragon Group Ltd's Ruyan cigarettes are battery-powered, cigarette-shaped devices that deliver nicotine to inhalers in a bid to emulate actual smoking. "The nicotine is delivered to the lungs within 7 to 10 seconds," said Scott Fraser, Vice President of SBT Co. Ltd., the Beijing-based firm that first developed the electronic cigarette technology in 2003 and which is now controlled by Golden Dragon."It feels like a cigarette, looks like a cigarette, it even emits vapor. In many ways, it is like an actual smoking experience, and that's what makes us different," he told Reuters. The cigarettes sell for around 1,600 yuan ($208) apiece and are already available in China, Israel, Turkey, and a number of European countries, but not yet the United States.

Whipped for two beers Norwegian-Iranian Mamand Mamandy had a brutal meeting with police after drinking two beers while on holiday in Iran. "It's getting better now, but I am still in great pain," Mamandy, 35, told Aftenposten.no. "My brother is a doctor, and treated me after the whipping. I was in great pain and could not sleep." Mamandy, a Kurd, explained that he was visiting his mother in Baneh, Iran in April when he was arrested by police. "We were on an outing with family and friends, six or seven in the evening, and were having a barbecue and enjoying ourselves. Altogether I drank two beers. The police happened to drive by," Mamandy said. He said that he was immediately arrested and taken to the police station where he was sentenced to 130 lashes. This sentence, for beer drinking, was carried out publicly according to news agency Iran Focus. "I received 130 lashes on the back of my body. Police whipped me," Mamandy said. He came to Norway as an asylum seeker in 1999. He lives in Drammen with his wife and they are awaiting Norwegian citizenship. Mamandy traveled home to Norway shortly after his punishment and has been since treated by his family doctor here.

US actor and director Sylvester Stallone, seen here 9 January 2007, pleaded guilty Tuesday to bringing vials of banned human growth hormone into Australia during a trip to promote his new film, the national AAP news agency reported.

Russia's Tu-160 strategic bomber

Military Tests Miniature Spy Plane The Wasp off duty and compared to a pencil. Credit: AeroVironment Inc. If the Wasp buzzed your backyard barbecue and sent out a live video feed, you probably wouldn't notice. The new robotic plane is designed for troops who need a peek at the enemy before going in. The diminutive drone, about the size of a magazine, was tested recently during Navy exercises off Southern California, according to an April 4 article in the C4ISR Journal , part of the Army Times publishing group. The journal covers military intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance. Though made with off-the-shelf products, the Wasp is nothing like remote-control planes sold at hobby shops. Its wings, which span 13 inches, carry 4.25 ounces of lithium-ion batteries. The whole rest of the plane -- including video cameras front and back -- adds just 1.75 ounces to the total 6-ounce takeoff weight. It is launched by hand. In 2002, a rudimentary Wasp set an endurance record for micro air vehicles (MAVs) of 1 hour and 47 minutes. It has since been outfitted with an autopilot feature that uses the Global Positioning System (GPS). The drone was built by AeroVironment in Simi Valley, Calif. with funding from the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).

An image from British government anti-smoking posters featuring men and women with fish hooks through their mouths. The ads attracted one of the highest numbers of complaints the advertising standards watchdog has ever received.

A Pitbull decided he would battle a Porcupine in back of his house here inSouthern California…. But being both brave and stupid, he ultimately learned the hard way that he can't always win, no matter how tough you are... A vet sedated the dog, and then removed a total of 1,347 quills. The dog survived, and hopefully learned a valuable lesson.

Spas In U.S. Introduce Detoxifying "Butt Facials“ New York, NY (AHN) -- With bikini season just round the corner, many spas in New York, Miami, Los Angeles and Minneapolis have found a new way to earn money and offer relaxation by promoting "butt facials." People who are ready to dish out nearly $650 -$800 for a hour-long session can get the facials that promise to tighten, lift and tone the posteriors of clients eager to wear the bikinis and bathing suits. AFP reports that the new facials are a part of a new trend in town that many spa owners have launched keeping in mind the clients who have enough money to spare and extremely conscious of how they look. The treatments for the rear-end focus on cleansing and detoxifying the skin just like they do in a regular facial. Others use microdermabrasion or microcurrent therapy to rid the buttocks of cellulite deposits, acne and other skin problems. Though the clients include mostly rich women but there are also a few male athletes, who sweat a lot and break out, who have opted to try the "butt facials."

Police arrest alleged flasher Thu May 17, 2007, 12:51 AM EDT Framingham, MA. - Police arrested a New York woman they say repeatedly exposed her naked buttocks out of the back of her van Tuesday, flashing drivers, as well as a mother and her two young children. Shantae M. Cammack, 29, denied mooning people, but her pants were around her knees and she was wearing no underwear when questioned by Officer William Fuer, according to police spokesman Lt. Paul Shastany. "The officer asked her, 'What are you doing,' and she said, 'I'm just sitting here, minding my own business,' " the lieutenant said. "The officer told her they had four witnesses, and her pants weren't even on when he opened the van's door." Cammack, of 145 Third Ave., New York City, was charged with open and gross lewdness and disorderly conduct. Police have no idea why Cammack was showing her buttocks. Cammack pleaded not guilty at her Framingham District Court arraignment yesterday. A judge set bail at $250, but Cammack could not make it, so she will be held at MCI-Framingham. She is due back in court June 12 for a pretrial conference.

Art Teacher Arrested For Alleged Sexual Relationship With Student May 16, 2007 09:42 AM EDT THOMPSON'S STATION, Tenn. - Williamson County Sheriff's deputies arrested an art teacher for allegedly having an inappropriate relationship with a female student. Heather Thorsby, who teaches at Independence High School, was arrested at her parents' home Tuesday morning in Franklin. Thorsby was in jail and charged with sexual battery by an authority figure. Police said Thorsby and one of her art students became friends in December. School officials found out about the relationship when a parent found text messages on the student's cell phone or computer. Police said the inappropriate contact happened at and away from school. "There's some indication that there may have been some activity between the two on the school grounds," said Williamson County Sheriff Ricky Headley. "That's something we're currently looking into." Police said the relationship was consensual. "The teacher admitted to the principal that there was an inappropriate relationship between her and this student," Headley said. Thorsby is scheduled to appear in court Wednesday morning. Headley said another female teacher at the same high school is also being investigated for a relationship with a student.

Convicted prostitutes becoming teachers? By Associated Press SALEM, Ore. (AP) _ The Oregon Senate has approved a bill allowing some women convicted of misdemeanor prostitution to be eligible for a state teaching license. Supporter Sen. Margaret Carter, a Portland Democrat, invoked the gospel of redemption and forgiveness, and the sins of judgment. Carter had pushed a similar bill last session but withdrew it when it appeared it would not pass the then-Republican-run House. Some Democrats had problems with it as well. Decisions would be made on a case-by-case basis by the Oregon Teacher Standards and Practices Commission. The conviction would have to be at least five years old for a woman to be considered for a teaching license or other work in a school. Similar laws exist in California, Washington, Idaho and Nevada. The bill goes to the House.

Suspected Stafford dominatrix arrested Police found a dungeon with whips, chains, a wooden stockade and many "electronic torture devices" in Aquia Harbour home, affidavit shows. North Stafford’s self-proclaimed dominatrix was arrested in Maryland last week, nearly six years after she was indicted on prostitution and other charges in Stafford. Patricia Helen Meehan, 55, had been living in Hagerstown, Md., under the assumed name Patricia Noonan, said Stafford County sheriff’s spokesman Bill Kennedy. Stafford Detective Dave Wood contacted Maryland State Police after learning that Meehan was living in Hagerstown, Kennedy said. She was arrested May 8 at her Maryland home and taken into custody. She’ll be extradited to Stafford to face charges. Stafford detectives raided Meehan’s Aquia Harbour home in June 2001. They seized bondage devices, sexual aids, computer and video equipment, client databases and marijuana plants, according to the search warrant affidavit. A Stafford grand jury indicted Meehan in September 2001 on charges of manufacturing marijuana, crimes against nature, keeping a bawdy place and prostitution. She is accused of fleeing Stafford after being indicted, Kennedy said. fredricksburg.com

www.nisnews.nl Close THE HAGUE , 11/05/07 - Retail chain Kijkshop has distributed 5 million advertising folders house-to-house for Mothers Day this Sunday in which sex articles are recommended as presents. In the brochure, an assortment of sex toys are shown. Kinderconsument, an organisation that aims to protect children against advertising influences, is put out. "Unsuspecting children will look in the folder to find ideas for a Mothers Day present," said director Bamber Delver in newspaper Algemeen Daglad. Kijkshop says the intention was not for children to buy a dildo for their mother. "We are targeting partners that want to surprise their wife with these articles." Retail Chain Offers Dildo as Mothers Day Gift

Small but growing number of seniors using drugs Updated Sun. May. 13 2007 10:01 PM ET CTV.ca News Staff Seniors constitute the fastest growing population group in Canada, and some of them use illicit drugs. Researchers say older adults tend to be an under-recognized group of drug users but it's a trend that needs study and attention. Mavis Becker is a senior who enjoys drugs. The Vancouverite, who's about to turn 65, says she has a lot of stress on her plate, caring for her 93-year-old father who suffers from dementia. When she gets wound up, Mavis rolls herself a joint. "I do have a habit of getting on the hyper side. And I find if I go out on my balcony and smoke a doobie, I feel way more relaxed and I don't get too excited about it," she says. "I hope my grandchildren will be willing to roll a doobie for me if my arthritis gets too bad," says Becker. It seems that the baby boomers who discovered recreational drugs decades ago are bringing them along into their golden years, saying they don't intend to stop just because they are older. The numbers of seniors using illicit drugs are likely small but seem to be increasing.

BUSTED: Guy named "Stoner" growing pot Hudson, Florida -- Deputies say they have shut down a marijuana grow house, seizing 94 pot plants and arresting the resident, 31-year-old Jason Robert Stoner. Investigators say he may also be in trouble with the power company, since he tampered with the electric meter to bypass the wiring and run his grow lights. Deputies say Stoner admitted he started cultivating marijuana in his home last January. The plants ranged from 3 to 4 feet high when seized. Also confiscated were grow lights, fans, rolling papers and other paraphernalia, deputies said. Stoner, a self-employed handyman, was taken to the Land O'Lakes jail and released on $3,500 bond. Tampabay10.com

"Bud Bundy" Bud Bust Florida pot possession, disorderly charges for David Faustino MAY 15--Meet David Faustino. The 33-year-old actor, best known for playing "Bud Bundy" on TV's "Married With Children," was arrested Saturday on pot possession and disorderly intoxication charges. Faustino was popped in New Smyrna Beach, Florida after cops spotted him arguing with his ex-wife in the middle of an intersection, according to a police report . While Faustino was yelling profanities at her, the woman said she had not been struck by him (Faustino's statements to police have been redacted from the report). When officers discovered the pot in the tipsy Faustino's pocket, he was transported to the Volusia County jail, where the below mug shot was taken. Smoking Gun

http://edibleanus.com/

Miss Hooters