Mike the Chicken

I apologize to those who are easily queasy, but this story is too weird not to share. My oldest son is a self-proclaimed nerd who loves reading about useless facts. While checking out his new Guiness World Record book yesterday, he shared with me about Mike the Headless Chicken. Yeah, you heard that right.

We've all heard that a chicken can run around a bit even after it has been decapitated. Strange. Well, back in September 1945, the Olsen's of Fruita, Colorado decided to make a rather plump, 5 month old chicken their evening dinner. Lloyd Olsen was intentional to leave a long neck bone when he made his chop, but what happened next was totally unexpected. The chicken carried on being a chicken, running around and attempting to peck the ground for food. Lloyd found the chicken the next morning, still alive, sleeping with his head under his wing.

That wonderous chicken, later named Mike, went on to live for 18 more months, and grew from 2.5 pounds to 8 pounds. He was able to eat and live a happy chicken life. Don't believe me? I found a website dedicated to this wonderous pet. Get the details of Mike's story HERE.

Octopus honored with German shrine

As featured on Fox Sports, NewsCore, Jan. 17, 2011 07:29 PM
http://sports.mobile.msn.com/en-us/articles.aspx?aid=504586&acid=2&afid=0

Paul the Psychic Octopus may have gone to that great aquarium in the sky
but the wizard of World Cup predictions will live on in a German shrine
featuring a six-foot statue of him atop a soccer ball, plus his ashes, The Local
reported Monday.

Paul won worldwide acclaim, and a Facebook fan club, by correctly
predicting the results of seven Germany matches and Spain's 1-0 triumph over the
Netherlands in last summer's World Cup tournament in South Africa. Following
that triumph, the tentacled tipster passed away peacefully in his sleep last
October at his home at the Sea Life Centre in Oberhausen, Germany. He was almost
three.

Now his aquarium has announced the unveiling later this week of "Paul's
Corner," featuring a statue 1.80 meters (six feet) high of Paul atop a soccer
ball. In the middle will be a see-through window with a golden urn containing
Paul's ashes, The Local's German edition said, citing AFP. Last November, the aquarium revealed a French-born cephalopod replacement, Paul II, whose skills have not yet been tested.

It was unclear if he would follow Paul's simple yet succulent technique
of choosing between two boxes, each decorated with a team's flag and containing
a tasty mussel. The team represented on the box Paul chose then went on to win.
At one point, his predictions were carried live on German television.

Make mine a venti; Seattle Starbucks selling alcohol - CTV News

CTV British Columbia - Make mine a venti; Seattle Starbucks selling alcohol - CTV News

Disturbing beyond belief.

WARNING:: the following video is not for the sensible.

Twenty-one year old idiot Jessica Gamble is giving mothers everywhere a reason to feel furious and appauled. Apparently she has nothing better to do than give her two-year-old daughter a marijuana cigarette, videotape the nonsense, and post it onto YouTube. Obviously the video was reported to child services, and Gamble has been indicted on charges of Child Endangerment for which she faces up to 11 years in prison.

I am sickened at the thought of a mother intentionally putting her baby in harms way. It's wrong enough that she is smoking in the same room as her child, while the young girl is in her care, but to allow her to put a lit cigarette into her hand, and a drug into her system, is sinister. I hope that sweet little girl is taken away from her mother - for good - and forgets that she ever knew how to accurately smoke a joint.

Throw snowballs, feel less pain.

Well, I went back to work this week. Even though I follow the same schedule every September, it's always a bit of a shell shock adjusting from sleeping in and lounging around in yoga pants all day, to waking up early and leading my high school classes. Plus, to make things a bit crazier, September means my own children are heading back to their school, and I have to effectively manage that (without losing my mind in the process). Aw, the joys of adulthood.

Fortunately I have an awesome support system. My parent's invited us over for dinner last night so they could hear all about every one's first day of school. This meant not having to cook, which is awesome in my book... as if you didn't know.

While waiting for the spaghetti to finish up, I caught a very interesting story on the news. There's a new and exciting technology now available to burn victims: Virtual Reality. The program, developed at the University of Washington, is called 'Snow World', and it allows the patients to immerse themselves into a fictional world of penguins and snowmen, which is not only visually stimulating, but also interactive (you can participate in virtual snowball fights with the creatures).


Studies have shown that the game is able to distract the brain from sending pain signals, causing patients to perceive less pain when receiving treatment to their wounds. Doctors are also needing to give less pain medication which can help reduce prescription pain abuse.


SnowWorld is also proving helpful with military war victims who are returning from overseas with combat burns and post traumatic stress disorder. Snowball fights and 50% pain? This sounds like one rad videogame.

"Some people raffle TVs", and some politicians raffle breasts.

"CARACAS (Reuters) – A Venezuelan politician is offering breast implants as a prize in a raffle to raise funds for his parliamentary election campaign.

"Some people raffle TVs and we decided to offer this. It's an interesting prize and there's a lot of interest," Gustavo Rojas, an opposition candidate for a National Assembly position, told Reuters while campaigning in Caracas.

Cosmetic surgery, especially breast enlargement, is widespread in image-conscious Venezuela, whose beauty queens have won numerous international pageant titles.

Even a recession has not diminished Venezuelans' appetite for cosmetic surgery, with many people taking out loans for operations.

Rojas, of the opposition First Justice party, said he was not too worried about potential feminist criticism or the medical details of his offer.

"The raffle is a financing mechanism, nothing else. It's the doctor who will do the operation, not me," he said.

"When someone raffles a TV, some people think it's a good TV but others don't like it. It's the same. I'm not showing disrespect to anyone."

Venezuelans vote on September 26 for a new parliament."

--http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100827/od_nm/us_venezuela_implants_odd

John Lennon's toliet sells for 10 times it's estimated bid.

Prior to John Lennon's death in 1980, he replaced the toilet in his home. Builders hauled the old lavatory away, and it eventually ended up in the storage shed of John Hancock.


Recently, Mr. Hancock passed away, and the rejected toliet was put up for auction. Sales organizers estimated the pot to earn 750-1,000 pounds, but it ended up selling for a whopping 9,500 pounds ($14,740) on August 28, 2010.

Strange.

Break a plate or two.

I first heard about the Women's-Only "Frustrating Venting" shop in my August 2010 edition of Marie Claire. The article was so intriguing-- women in northern China can pay to smash used furniture and electronics in an effort to unleash pent up anger over work, relationships, or any other frustrations.


This unique shop is modeled as a home, with everything from a bedroom setup to a living room zone, and more. The gadgets inside have been collected by the shop and are replaced as customers come through. The shop plans to create a kitchen zone eventually. Motorcycle helmets and gloves are provided to avoid injury to the consumer.


This shop is located on the upper floor of a mall in Shenyang, China. A one-minute smashing spree will cost you, but for those who spend a minimum of 36 yaun ($6) in the mall, you can bash for no cost. Pretty rad.

Interesting article about Coca Cola's Vitamin Water.

I came across an interesting article about a lawsuit against Coca Cola regarding the nutritional value of Vitamin Water. Check it out:

The Dark Side of Vitaminwater

"Now here's something you wouldn't expect. Coca-Cola is being sued by a non-profit public interest group, on the grounds that the company's vitaminwater products make unwarranted health claims. No surprise there. But how do you think the company is defending itself?

In a staggering feat of twisted logic, lawyers for Coca-Cola are defending the lawsuit by asserting that "no consumer could reasonably be misled into thinking vitaminwater was a healthy beverage.""

Read the rest of the article HERE.

Didn't see that one coming...

Source: Wyclef Jean intends to run for president of Haiti

CNN has confirmed that a source close to Wyclef Jean says Jean will announce exclusively on "Larry King Live" Thursday night that he intends to run for president of Haiti.