http://www.sott.net Signs of the Times, featuring news and commentary on world events. Never wavering in our unending search for the light of truth in a pathocracy driven world! en-us Original content Copyright 2009 by Signs of the Times. For other content, see our Fair Use Policy at www.sott.net Thu, 08 Jan 2009 11:45:54 -0500 http://www.sott.net/images/sottlogo_rss.jpg SOTT.net http://www.sott.net http://www.sott.net/articles/show/172504-Boy-and-girl-six-and-seven-try-to-elope-to-sunny-Africa Fed up with the near-Arctic temperatures at home, a seven-year-old German girl and her six-year-old boyfriend hatched a plan to "elope" to Africa and get married in the sun. But their dreams were thwarted after officials stopped them boarding a train to the airport, police revealed yesterday. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/172504-Boy-and-girl-six-and-seven-try-to-elope-to-sunny-Africa Thu, 08 Jan 2009 16:20:28 +0000 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/172462-Tennessee-mule-brays-alarm-saves-owner-from-fire NASHVILLE - Add a 38-year-old mule named Lou to the list of heroic dogs, dolphins and other animal rescuers. When fire broke out at Jolene Salomon's farmhouse near Morrison, Tennessee, on Friday, her pet mule sounded the alarm by braying loudly and loping around its pasture, she told the Southern Standard newspaper in McMinnville. A semi-invalid, the 63-year-old Salomon was able to get to safety as the house burned to the ground. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/172462-Tennessee-mule-brays-alarm-saves-owner-from-fire Wed, 07 Jan 2009 23:39:41 +0000 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/172266-We-can-t-stop-the-train-because-our-GPS-is-broken Over the years railway passengers have become used to the wrong sort of snow and leaves on the line bringing chaos to their journeys. But the rail industry has now come up with a new blight: The wrong sort of satellite connection. Passengers on a Southern service from East Croydon were stunned when they were told that their stopping train would skip six stations and go direct to the end of the line in Caterham, Surrey. When they got there the driver said the reason was that the train had lost its satellite link. Because some stations have shorter platforms than others it meant that he could not open the right doors at every station on the route. The loss of the satellite link meant that passengers who had wanted stations in between had to wait half an hour for another train. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/172266-We-can-t-stop-the-train-because-our-GPS-is-broken Tue, 06 Jan 2009 00:28:37 +0000 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/172182-Connecticut-man-s-last-lotto-ticket-wins-10M-for-widow DANBURY, Conn. - On the day that Donald Peters died, he unknowingly provided financial security for his wife of 59 years and their family. Peters bought two Connecticut Lottery tickets at a local 7-Eleven store on Nov. 1 as part of a 20-year tradition he shared with his wife Charlotte. Later that day, the 79-year-old retired hat factory worker suffered a fatal heart attack while working in his yard in Danbury. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/172182-Connecticut-man-s-last-lotto-ticket-wins-10M-for-widow Sun, 04 Jan 2009 15:47:51 +0000 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/172082-Hello-911-I-m-driving-drunk- Bismarck, North Dakota -- Police get calls about drunken drivers all the time, but rarely do they come from the alleged offender. A 17-year-old girl in Bismarck called 911 on New Year's Eve "to report herself driving under the influence," police Lt. Randy Ziegler said. "I've never heard of such a thing happening, and neither has anyone here." The girl told authorities her location shortly before midnight Wednesday and officers found her in a parked car near downtown, Ziegler said. She failed a sobriety test and was arrested for failing to have control of her vehicle while intoxicated. The girl, whose name was not released because of her age, was not cited for drunken driving, Ziegler said. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/172082-Hello-911-I-m-driving-drunk- Sat, 03 Jan 2009 02:56:36 +0000 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/172068-Turkish-company-sees-boom-in-sales-of-Bush-shoes- The Turkish shoe company that produces the brand of footware used by an Iraqi journalist who threw his shoes at US President George Bush has seen a surge in orders in the past week, reported dpa. Ramazan Baydan, owner of the shoe factory in Istanbul of the same name, told the Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa that he had received orders for some 300,000 pairs of the model that was thrown at the US president. "Someone even came from America seeking distribution rights," Baydan said. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/172068-Turkish-company-sees-boom-in-sales-of-Bush-shoes- Sat, 03 Jan 2009 00:17:30 +0000 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/172049-Thousands-Of-Shoes-Dumped-On-Miami-Expressway Thousands Of "Lost Soles" May Have Fallen From A Truck Driven On The Palmetto Expressway Miami―Thousands of shoes were dumped accidentally from a truck on the southbound Palmetto Expressway after the Bird Road exit in Miami causing significant traffic delays Friday morning. City workers with broom sticks and Road Rangers who come to the aid of stranded motorists were all taking part in clearing one lane of a quarter mile section of expressway where shoes fell from a truck earlier in the day. Of the task clearing all the shoes that littered the road, Florida Highway Patrol Lt. Pat Santangelo said "there's just so many." http://www.sott.net/articles/show/172049-Thousands-Of-Shoes-Dumped-On-Miami-Expressway Fri, 02 Jan 2009 20:23:41 +0000 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/172012-Gold-dust-That-s-commercial-waste-says-council A jeweller has been ordered by his local council to hand over gold dust swept up from his workshop floor so that it can be taken to a tip. John Doble, 50, who runs businesses in Torquay and Brixham, collects tiny gold particles from the floor and benches of his workshop and sells them to a specialist dealer for about £2,000 a year. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/172012-Gold-dust-That-s-commercial-waste-says-council Fri, 02 Jan 2009 04:03:51 +0000 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/171928-Former-Royal-Australian-Navy-submarine-for-sale-on-eBay * Ultimate eBay sale for discerning sailors * Royal Australian Navy sub up for grabs * Yours for $4.9 million-plus IT is the ultimate Christmas gift for the discerning sailor. Just log on to eBay, lodge any bid more than $4.9 million, and the 2000-tonne former Royal Australian Navy submarine, the HMAS Otama, could be yours, The Australian reports. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/171928-Former-Royal-Australian-Navy-submarine-for-sale-on-eBay Thu, 01 Jan 2009 00:43:47 +0000 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/171875-Anonymous-donor-pays-Vermont-man-s-1-000-rent St. Johnsbury - Yes, Nathan, there is such a thing as Christmas angels. Nathan Dubray had his monthly rent paid by an anonymous benefactor who sent $1,000 in cash to his landlord on Christmas Eve. The same day, Dubray got a note telling him the rent had been paid and wishing him a merry Christmas and happy holidays. It was signed "Christmas Angels." http://www.sott.net/articles/show/171875-Anonymous-donor-pays-Vermont-man-s-1-000-rent Wed, 31 Dec 2008 02:37:53 +0000 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/171833-Sheriff-holds-180-000-carat-emerald Los Angeles -- The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department says it is holding an emerald estimated to be worth as much as $370 million while the stone's owner is determined. A department spokesman said the 850-pound gem will be in safekeeping until a federal judge determines who rightfully owns it. The "Bahia Emerald" was reported stolen in September from a secured vault in South El Monte, Calif. CNN reported the emerald has been at the center of a dispute between a California man who claimed ownership, a company with which he contracted to sell it and a potential buyer. It is alleged the gemstone's owner tried to go around the broker, who received a $19 million offer, and sell the emerald to the same buyer for $75 million. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/171833-Sheriff-holds-180-000-carat-emerald Tue, 30 Dec 2008 16:35:14 +0000 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/171661-Family-finds-10-000-in-box-of-crackers Irvine, California - The box of crackers Debra Rogoff bought from the grocery store had some crackerjack in it - an envelope stuffed with $10,000. Yet the Irvine woman was more curious than ecstatic about her daughter's find. After all, who would leave money in such a place? "We just thought, 'This is someone's money,'" she said. "We would never feel good about spending it." Rather than go on a shopping spree, the family called police and was initially told the money could be part of a drug drop. Police later heard from store managers at Whole Foods in Tustin that an elderly woman had come in a few days earlier, hysterical because she had mistakenly returned a box of crackers with her life savings inside. In a mix-up the store restocked the box rather than composting it. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/171661-Family-finds-10-000-in-box-of-crackers Sat, 27 Dec 2008 23:52:51 +0000 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/171504-Doctor-used-human-fat-to-power-car- A Beverly Hills plastic surgeon who claims to have turned fat, extricated in liposuction, into biofuel for his car has skipped town after US officials raided his surgery in an investigation into his procedures. Dr Craig Alan Bittner, who runs the Liposculpture clinic on Rodeo Drive, said that he had created "lipodiesel" with his patients' excess subcutaneous fat. The cosmetic surgeon told Forbes.com that he used the blubber to power two cars including his four-wheel-drive Ford. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/171504-Doctor-used-human-fat-to-power-car- Thu, 25 Dec 2008 03:29:46 +0000 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/171485-Mysterious-Benefactor-Leaves-Gold-Coin-in-Salvation-Army-Kettle A mysterious tradition continued last week for the Salvation Army in Frederick, Maryland. A modern-day Santa Claus dropped a massive donation into the Salvation Army's kettle, but this Santa is keeping his or her identity secret. Isaiah Barnes was manning his post, kettle and bell in tow, outside a shopping center when a glint of gold among the donations caught his eye. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/171485-Mysterious-Benefactor-Leaves-Gold-Coin-in-Salvation-Army-Kettle Wed, 24 Dec 2008 18:08:37 +0000 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/171458-Guiliani-s-kid-gets-it-right No one can mock like a child. Especially a bored child who's been too long on Daddy's campaign trail . . . . http://www.sott.net/articles/show/171458-Guiliani-s-kid-gets-it-right Wed, 24 Dec 2008 05:31:59 +0000 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/171457-Reborn-Snowzilla-safe-through-Christmas Snowzilla the giant snowman rose from the dead Tuesday morning after some holiday pranksters thumbed their noses at city orders and rebuilt him overnight. When news of the controversial and world-famous Anchorage snowman's demise exploded on the Internet this week, hundreds of Alaska and Lower 48 readers had two words for the city of Anchorage and anyone else who criticized the crowd-pleasing giant: "Bah humbug." And before dawn Tuesday, in downtown Anchorage, someone erected a small, misshapen snowman at the entrance to Anchorage City Hall: A crude mini Snowzilla brandishing a protest sign that read "Snowmen of the world unite!" Others created a snowzilla.org Web site and began soliciting a legal defense fund for Snowzilla's creators. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/171457-Reborn-Snowzilla-safe-through-Christmas Wed, 24 Dec 2008 05:11:46 +0000 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/171361-Homeless-get-caviar-for-Christmas Rome - Down-and-outs and hard up pensioners in Milan will enjoy a rare Christmas treat this year: choice beluga caviar confiscated from traffickers. Italian police seized over 40 kg (88 lb) of the delicacy, worth some 400,000 euros ($558,300), from two men who last month smuggled it into the country from Poland for sale in the shops of Milan and the rest of the wealthy Lombardy region. The head of the local forest police who carried out the raid kept the bounty in barrack fridges for several weeks, but realized it would soon go bad. "Tests showed us the food was still perfectly OK to eat but it couldn't be stored much longer, so we decided to give it to the poor," Juri Mantegazza told Milan daily Corriere della Sera. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/171361-Homeless-get-caviar-for-Christmas Mon, 22 Dec 2008 21:46:26 +0000 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/171327-Quake-zone-hero-pig-named-China-s-animal-of-the-year A celebrity pig that survived for 36 days buried beneath rubble in quake-hit southwest China has been named the nation's animal of the year, state press reported. The pig won the award in an online vote after his ordeal earned him celebrity status and a plush life as the top attraction at an earthquake museum, the China Daily said in a weekend report. The pig, known as "Zhu Jianqiang" which means "Strong Pig", shot to fame after he was discovered alive beneath rubble, 36 days after the magnitude-8.0 earthquake struck Sichuan province on May 12. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/171327-Quake-zone-hero-pig-named-China-s-animal-of-the-year Mon, 22 Dec 2008 16:10:51 +0000 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/171155-For-Sale-Three-Space-shuttles-Gently-used-call-NASA For anyone with an interest in the starry skies and around 42 million dollars to spare, NASA may have an interesting proposition. The US space agency has announced it is selling three used space shuttles when they are retired in 2010, after 30 years of service. Sadly for enthusiasts planning their own voyage of discovery, the orbiters will only be made available for display in museums and other educational institutes. And potential buyers may have to move quickly. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/171155-For-Sale-Three-Space-shuttles-Gently-used-call-NASA Sat, 20 Dec 2008 04:13:07 +0000 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/171118-Man-Pays-21K-Property-Taxes-In-Coins Frank Alford Says It's His Way Of Protesting Higher Taxes New Albany, Indiana -- A Floyd County man showed up at the city-county building in New Albany to pay his property taxes with more than $21,000 in coins. Frank Alford, who owns several single-family rental homes, said it's his way of protesting higher taxes, reported WLKY-TV in Louisville, Ky. When he walked into the Floyd County treasurer's office Thursday morning, a deputy clerk immediately recognized Alford because last year, he paid his taxes with dollar bills. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/171118-Man-Pays-21K-Property-Taxes-In-Coins Fri, 19 Dec 2008 19:51:47 +0000 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/171114-30-000-desert-beauties-to-compete-in-Dubai Thousands of camels from across the gulf region are queuing up in the UAE to compete in one-of-its-kind beauty contest to be held in its capital Abu Dhabi. Around 30,000 camels will participate in the beauty pageant to be organised during the 13-day long Dubai camel festival, being organised by the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage. The orgnisers believe that despite it was the second year of the the festival, it would be much bigger in size than the last year. "Everyday we are registering around 600 to 700 camels and we have to extend the registration deadline by one more day, in order to cope with all the arrivals," Salem Ebrahim Al Mazrouei, in charge of organising the festival, was quoted by the Khaleej Times. Millions of Dirhams in cash as well as 143 four-wheel-drive vehicles and pick-up trucks will be given away to prize-winning entries, he said. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/171114-30-000-desert-beauties-to-compete-in-Dubai Fri, 19 Dec 2008 19:29:38 +0000 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/171088-Burger-chain-markets-meat-scented-perfume American fast food chain Burger King is marketing a men's fragrance with the scent of meat. Called Flame, the company says the spray is "the scent of seduction with a hint of flame-broiled meat". The scent is on sale in New York for $3.99 (£2.65) and through a website that features a variety of romantic images - but no actual burgers. Its character the Burger King is also seen reclining almost naked in front of a log fire with whipped cream. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/171088-Burger-chain-markets-meat-scented-perfume Fri, 19 Dec 2008 07:32:56 +0000 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/171073-McCartney-says-he-was-the-real-political-Beatle-not-John-Lennon Paul McCartney claims that he was the real politicized figure in The Beatles, not John Lennon, according to an interview published Sunday. McCartney was quoted as saying it was he who first raised concerns over the Vietnam war within the group and advocated their anti-war stance. Fans have long regarded Lennon, who wrote songs such as "Revolution" and - in later years - "Give Peace a Chance," as the group's authentic political voice. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/171073-McCartney-says-he-was-the-real-political-Beatle-not-John-Lennon Fri, 19 Dec 2008 00:20:45 +0000 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/170906-4-414-friends-and-counting-how-Kirk-became-a-slave-to-his-blog Kirk Douglas, the square-jawed hero famed for saving the world, getting the girl and in moments of toga-clad inspiration declaring "I am Spartacus!" has a new string to his bow - as MySpace's oldest celebrity blogger. The 92-year-old actor, who retired from the screen five years ago, is cutting a fresh swath through Hollywood with a page on the social networking website that reflects on his "years of living, loving and learning" and records the genteel details of his life. The site features his thoughts on US politics (he's a fan of Barack Obama), notes that his favourite films are Champion, Spartacus, Paths to Glory and Lonely are the Brave ("I just happen to be in these movies"), and reveals that his greatest remaining ambition in life is to meet Angelina Jolie, "provided my wife lets me". http://www.sott.net/articles/show/170906-4-414-friends-and-counting-how-Kirk-became-a-slave-to-his-blog Wed, 17 Dec 2008 08:51:15 +0000 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/170878-Cake-request-for-3-year-old-Hitler-namesake-denied Easton, Pa. - The father of 3-year-old Adolf Hitler Campbell, denied a birthday cake with the child's full name on it by one New Jersey supermarket, is asking for a little tolerance. Heath Campbell and his wife, Deborah, are upset not only with the decision made by the Greenwich ShopRite, but with an outpouring of angry Internet postings in response to a local newspaper article over the weekend on their flare-up over frosting. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/170878-Cake-request-for-3-year-old-Hitler-namesake-denied Wed, 17 Dec 2008 04:31:20 +0000 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/170842-John-McCain-Campaign-Info-Left-in-BlackBerry-Phone-Sold-to-Reporter BlackBerry phones caused John McCain a bit of embarrassment several months ago after one of John McCain's campaign staffers said incorrectly that the Arizona Senator "helped create" them. Now it seems his former campaign workers can't even figure out how to erase private data on the devices before putting them up for sale. A BlackBerry purchased at an auction of used office equipment from the McCain-Palin campaign turned out to contain cell phone numbers and other information for about 50 people. The data might have gone unnoticed -- except it was Tisha Thompson, a Fox news reporter, who made the purchase. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/170842-John-McCain-Campaign-Info-Left-in-BlackBerry-Phone-Sold-to-Reporter Tue, 16 Dec 2008 17:13:16 +0000 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/170811-Merriam-Webster-Places-Dick-Morris-Picture-Next-To-Word-Pathetic- Pa·thet·ic [puh-thet-ik] 1. causing or evoking pity, sympathetic sadness, sorrow, etc.; pitiful; pitiable: a pathetic letter; a pathetic sight. affecting or moving the feelings.3.pertaining to or caused by the feelings.4.miserably or contemptibly inadequate: In return for our investment we get a pathetic three percent interest. 5. Dick Morris In what Merriam-Webster editors are attributing to the voluminous usage, or citations, the forthcoming 2009 edition of the world-famous dictionary has added political pundit Dick Morris's picture and name as one of the possible definitions for the word "pathetic." http://www.sott.net/articles/show/170811-Merriam-Webster-Places-Dick-Morris-Picture-Next-To-Word-Pathetic- Tue, 16 Dec 2008 07:37:04 +0000 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/170749-Nude-Virgin-Mary-cover-prompts-Playboy-apology A nude model resembling the Virgin Mary on the cover of the Mexican edition of Playboy magazine, published only days before a major Mexican festival dedicated to the mother of Jesus, prompted the company's U.S. headquarters on Friday to apologize. The magazine, which hit newsstands on Dec. 1 as ceremonies began leading to Friday's pilgrimage to the Mexico City shrine of the Virgin of Guadalupe, showed a model wearing nothing but a white cloth over her head and breasts. She is standing in front of a stained glass window with the cover line, "We Love You, Maria" in Spanish. The model's name is Maria Florencia Onori. The Virgin of Guadalupe, said to have appeared to a sixteenth century Indian peasant, is Mexico's most revered Roman Catholic figure and the annual pilgrimage to the Mexico City basilica dedicated to her is one of the world's largest religious events. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/170749-Nude-Virgin-Mary-cover-prompts-Playboy-apology Mon, 15 Dec 2008 19:07:23 +0000 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/170743-Bruni-sues-over-use-of-nude-image-on-bags Saint Denis De La Reunion - French first lady Carla Bruni-Sarkozy is suing a fashion chain for selling bags emblazoned with nude images of her in the latest legal action over the presidential couple's image. At a court hearing on Monday in the French Indian Ocean island of Reunion, Bruni-Sarkozy's lawyer said the former model was demanding 125,000 euros ($168,300) in damages from local chain Pardon which sold the bags there for a few days. "This little-known company is using the image of a famous person in a shocking way ... for media attention," Gesche Le Fur told the court in the island's capital, Saint Denis. Bruni-Sarkozy, 40, rose to fame as a model before becoming a pop singer. Public interest in her has surged since her whirlwind romance with President Nicolas Sarkozy, whom she married in February less than three months after they met. The couple have repeatedly gone to court over image issues, attracting criticism that they are too focused on trivial matters. The founder and manager of the Pardon chain, which sells clothing and fashion accessories in Reunion but does not trade in mainland France, told the court he had withdrawn the bags from stores at the weekend. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/170743-Bruni-sues-over-use-of-nude-image-on-bags Mon, 15 Dec 2008 19:00:39 +0000 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/170704-Man-banned-from-selling-soul-on-eBay A musician fed up with his life was today barred from selling his soul to the highest bidder Dante Knoxx, 24, offered the "used" item for a starting bid of £25,000.50 or a buy it now price of £700,000 on the internet auction site eBay. But eBay pulled the listing today with about two hours to go and no bids because it breached one of the firm's policies. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/170704-Man-banned-from-selling-soul-on-eBay Mon, 15 Dec 2008 17:06:48 +0000 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/170691-Satire-Iraq-had-shoes-all-along-claims-vindicated-Bush President Bush last night claimed his decision to invade Iraq had been vindicated after US troops uncovered an arsenal of shoes on the outskirts of Fallujah. More than 400 lethal shoes including sandals, pumps, desert boots and a solitary brogue were revealed as Mr Bush paid a final visit to Iraq to see if there was anything left. A White House spokesman immediately dismissed claims the US invasion had been based on Saddam Hussein's alleged stockpile of chemical and biological weapons, adding: "No we didn't, we said shoes. "We did and if you heard weapons of mass destruction, that's your problem. You might want to try using a cotton bud." The spokesman added: "We believe that many of these shoes would have been built in China with Russian laces, French-made heels and odour-absorbing insoles purchased through back channels via the west African state of Niger." http://www.sott.net/articles/show/170691-Satire-Iraq-had-shoes-all-along-claims-vindicated-Bush Mon, 15 Dec 2008 15:59:22 +0000 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/170672-Teenager-completes-UK-coast-walk A teenager who sparked a land and air rescue operation after stealing a boat has completed a sponsored walk around Britain to make amends. Seb Green was 15 when he and a friend sparked a search costing £20,000 when they got stranded near Weymouth Harbour, Dorset, in May 2004. He has spent nearly a year walking 5,821 miles (9,367km) around Britain with his border collie, Flash. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/170672-Teenager-completes-UK-coast-walk Mon, 15 Dec 2008 04:27:32 +0000 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/170655-Santa-gets-a-parking-ticket Charity fundraisers were left fuming today after they were given a parking ticket while they assembled Santa's sleigh. Richard Walters, from West Bridgford Round Table in Nottingham, had towed the sleigh to the town's Tudor Square to set it up. Pavement He said he left his car for just three minutes to unhook the sleigh and move it on to the pavement, but came back to find a ticket had been slapped on his vehicle. He said: "It's absolutely ridiculous. I had parked just off the road to unhook the sleigh and push it on to the pavement. "I was there for probably about three minutes and no more. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/170655-Santa-gets-a-parking-ticket Sun, 14 Dec 2008 18:37:14 +0000 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/170602-Primary-school-teacher-who-told-children-Santa-does-not-exist-is-fired A primary school teacher who left a class of 25 pupils in tears after she told told them Santa Claus did not exist has been fired. When excited youngsters became rowdy as they talked about Santa, the supply teacher blurted out: 'It's your parents who leave out presents on Christmas Day.' The class of seven-year-olds at Blackshaw Lane Primary School, Royton, near Oldham, Greater Manchester burst into tears and told their parents when they arrived home. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/170602-Primary-school-teacher-who-told-children-Santa-does-not-exist-is-fired Sat, 13 Dec 2008 10:16:49 +0000 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/170594-Russian-trademarks-winking-emoticon- How much would you pay for a ;-)? A Russian businessman has trademarked the emoticon - or combination of punctuation marks - used to convey a wink in text messages and email. Oleg Teterin, president of the mobile ad company Superfone, said Thursday he doesn't plan on tracking down individual users following the decision by the federal patent agency. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/170594-Russian-trademarks-winking-emoticon- Sat, 13 Dec 2008 02:19:27 +0000 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/170592-Why-did-the-alligator-cross-the-road- Orlando, Fla. -- It was apparently the chicken's day off as a 5-foot alligator was spotted crossing a downtown Orlando, Fla., road, witnesses said. Passersby said the reptile was first spotted motionless on the median of Primrose Drive near the city's downtown and began crossing the road as the crowd of onlookers grew, WFTV, Orlando, reported Thursday. "Not something you expect to see in downtown Orlando for sure," one witness said. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/170592-Why-did-the-alligator-cross-the-road- Sat, 13 Dec 2008 00:54:36 +0000 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/170541-Visa-CEO-loses-his-credit-cards Imagine running the world's largest credit card network, and not having your own plastic. That's what happened to Visa Inc Chief Executive Joseph Saunders. He spoke Thursday morning at a Goldman Sachs financial services conference in New York, and had come from San Francisco, Visa's headquarters. Unfortunately, his credit cards didn't make the trip. "I'm supposed to start off, and say that I'm very happy to be here, and I guess I am. But it's 4:15 in the morning as far as I'm concerned, and I lost my wallet on the way here," Saunders said. "It's rather embarrassing when somebody steals my credit cards." The comment prompted laughter. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/170541-Visa-CEO-loses-his-credit-cards Thu, 11 Dec 2008 22:33:44 +0000 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/170538-Bush-Bible-probably-not-literally-true US President George W. Bush said in an interview Monday that the Bible is "probably not" literally true and that a belief that God created the world is compatible with the theory of evolution. "I think you can have both," Bush, who leaves office January 20, told ABC television, adding "You're getting me way out of my lane here. I'm just a simple president." http://www.sott.net/articles/show/170538-Bush-Bible-probably-not-literally-true Thu, 11 Dec 2008 21:25:05 +0000 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/170507-10-Stories-Behind-Dr-Seuss-Stories 1. The Lorax. In case you haven't read The Lorax, it's widely recognized as Dr. Seuss' take on environmentalism and how humans are destroying nature. The logging industry was so upset about the book that some groups within the industry sponsored The Truax, a similar book - but from the logging point of view. Another interesting fact: the book used to contain the line, "I hear things are just as bad up in Lake Erie," but 14 years after the book was published, the Ohio Sea Grant Program wrote to Seuss and told him how much the conditions had improved and implored him to take the line out. Dr. Seuss agreed and said that it wouldn't be in future editions. 2. Horton Hears a Who! Somehow, Geisel's books find themselves in the middle of controversy. The line from the book, "A person's a person, no matter how small," has been used as a slogan for pro-life organizations for years. It's often questioned whether that was Seuss' intent in the first place, but I would say not: when he was still alive, he threatened to sue a pro-life group unless they removed his words from their letterhead. Karl ZoBell, the attorney for Dr. Seuss' interests and for his widow, Audrey Geisel, says that she doesn't like people to "hijack Dr. Seuss characters or material to front their own points of view." http://www.sott.net/articles/show/170507-10-Stories-Behind-Dr-Seuss-Stories Thu, 11 Dec 2008 04:40:56 +0000 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/170486-Peace-the-Panda-bites-his-keeper A giant panda whose name means 'peace' bit a keeper on the leg at Hong Kong's Ocean Park, officials said today. The panda attacked as the keeper was laying bamboo leaves in its enclosure. Spokeswoman Christie Lau said the park keeper was recovering well in hospital after the attack. She also said park officials were investigating the 30 November incident involving the male panda, whose name "An An" translates as "peace." http://www.sott.net/articles/show/170486-Peace-the-Panda-bites-his-keeper Wed, 10 Dec 2008 22:34:46 +0000 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/170444-9-year-old-publishes-a-book-reveals-dating-secrets He's only 9, but this pint-sized pickup artist already knows plenty about pleasing the ladies. So much, in fact, that Alec Greven's dating primer, "How to Talk to Girls" - which began as a handwritten, $3 pamphlet sold at his school book fair - hit the shelves nationwide last week. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/170444-9-year-old-publishes-a-book-reveals-dating-secrets Wed, 10 Dec 2008 09:09:08 +0000 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/170323-Missionary-went-to-change-tribe-but-they-changed-him The mission assigned to Daniel Everett after he graduated from Chicago's Moody Bible Institute was to change the lives of members of a tiny tribe in the Amazonian rain forest. It was, however, Everett who was changed. Everett, along with his wife and three children, were met in the rain forest by the Piraha people of central Brazil -- a primitive culture which has no words for numbers or colors and no concept of war or personal property. They live in the present. For a missionary like Everett, then 26, that last part proved a stumbling block as he tried to find the language to talk about Jesus and an afterlife to people who never talk about the past nor the future. In the end, Everett, now a linguistics professor at Illinois State University, abandoned his own religious faith, a tale he tells in his new book, Don't Sleep, There Are Snakes. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/170323-Missionary-went-to-change-tribe-but-they-changed-him Sun, 07 Dec 2008 23:04:12 +0000 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/170293-UK-Teddy-bears-blast-off-into-space Four teddies have taken a giant leap for bear-kind after being blasted to the edge of space by university boffins. The cuddly toys were attached to a helium balloon and launched 30,000-metres into the atmosphere from Churchill College in Cambridge. They were fitted out with space suits designed by schoolchildren from the city as the toys braved freezing temperatures. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/170293-UK-Teddy-bears-blast-off-into-space Sun, 07 Dec 2008 03:35:03 +0000 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/170234-US-State-police-find-410-900-in-traffic-stop State police with dogs patrolling returning Thanksgiving traffic over the weekend discovered stuffing of a different sort after they stopped a sport utility vehicle on the Massachusetts Turnpike. The troopers and their canine partners sniffed out a suspicious bounty in the rear cargo area of a 2005 Honda Pilot with Louisiana plates - $410,900 in a hidden compartment under the vehicle's third row of seats, according to state police. Police are investigating the driver, a 31-year-old Manchester, New Hampshire, man, and the source of the money. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/170234-US-State-police-find-410-900-in-traffic-stop Fri, 05 Dec 2008 21:11:16 +0000 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/170227-Politicians-may-have-to-take-breath-test Canberra - Politicians in Australia's most populous state could be breath-tested for alcohol before voting on laws after a series of late-night incidents that have embarrassed the center-left government. New South Wales state lawmaker Andrew Fraser resigned from his conservative opposition frontbench role after shoving a female colleague in the wake of Christmas party celebrations. "Breath test this mob," said a front page headline in Sydney's mass-selling Daily Telegraph newspaper. State police minister Matt Brown was dumped from his portfolio in September after allegedly "dirty" dancing in his underwear over the chest of a female colleague after a drunken post-budget office party. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/170227-Politicians-may-have-to-take-breath-test Fri, 05 Dec 2008 18:58:23 +0000 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/170203-Tortoise-still-a-Lothario-at-age-176 Amestown, Saint Helena -- Jonathan, a 176-year-old tortoise living on the British territory of St. Helena, routinely mates with three young female tortoises, officials say. A St. Helena tourist board spokesman said Jonathan is an active animal senior, The Sun said Thursday. "He lives in the grounds of Plantation House -- the governor's residence -- with five much younger tortoises, including three females," the spokesman said, referring to the Jamestown site where Jonathan resides. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/170203-Tortoise-still-a-Lothario-at-age-176 Fri, 05 Dec 2008 04:32:49 +0000 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/170202-Man-throws-Christmas-tree-at-his-father Police in Parrish, Florida arrested a 37-year-old man for allegedly throwing a christmas tree at his father. Authorities say Thomas Edward Lackie has been charged with felony assault for using a 3-foot-tall Christmas tree as a weapon, the Sarasota (Fla.) Herald-Tribune reports. The arrest record alleges that Lackie tried to strike his father with the steel tree base after he missed hitting him with the tree. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/170202-Man-throws-Christmas-tree-at-his-father Fri, 05 Dec 2008 04:29:09 +0000 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/170168-Sara-the-Saxophone-Playing-Walrus http://www.sott.net/articles/show/170168-Sara-the-Saxophone-Playing-Walrus Thu, 04 Dec 2008 20:30:00 +0000 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/170140-Santa-gets-the-heave-ho-ho-ho Oberlin - Conceptual artist Keith McGuckin kills off Santa Claus in his latest holiday display at the Oberlin Public Library. McGuckin, of Wellington, is known for his controversial holiday displays, which have included a drug-smuggling elf, a crystal meth Christmas and Nazi gingerbread men. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/170140-Santa-gets-the-heave-ho-ho-ho Thu, 04 Dec 2008 06:29:01 +0000 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/170139-US-Man-uses-candy-cane-to-subdue-attacker-with-knife Sacramento, Calif. - A man using a candy cane lawn ornament fended off a knife-wielding neighbor who had been attacking holiday guests at a Sacramento home. Police spokesman Sgt. Norm Leong said the man used the two-foot-tall plastic ornament to subdue the attacker until officers arrived. He said the 49-year-old suspect became intoxicated, went over to a neighbor's home on Thanksgiving and began waving a kitchen knife at people gathered on the lawn. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/170139-US-Man-uses-candy-cane-to-subdue-attacker-with-knife Thu, 04 Dec 2008 05:26:17 +0000